Something Borrowed
by 3xy
Summary: Buffy finds herself wanting Spike after "Something Blue" but Spike doesn't want her. And when he does start to like her, she decides to move on to Riley. Finding it hard to resist each other, they engage in an affair that leads to a lot of consequences.
1. Prologue

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: "Show Me Something Blue" by Peta2 inspired me to write my own version of what happened after Willow broke the spell in "Something Blue". That fanfic was just amazing and this could never be as good as that one but I really want to write it.**

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**Prologue**

"Let the healing power begin. Let my will be safe again. As these words of peace are spoken, let this harmful spell be broken." With Willow's chanting, the spell was undone.

Horror, more than disgust, flashed across Spike's face when he and Buffy pulled away from their passionate kiss. "Oh! Bloody hell!"

Buffy almost whimpered at the loss of Spike's lips on hers but quickly remembered that Spike was their mortal enemy – an evil, disgusting, soulless, mortal enemy. She groaned convincingly, desperately drawing on her face the same disgust and horror-filled expression Spike wore.

She reluctantly got off Spike's firm body and watched him. She cringed unknowingly at Spike's disgusted face, spitting and wiping off her taste vehemently and almost retching. A sharp pang ran through her heart but she mimicked his movements anyway and started wiping off Spike's sweetness. "Spike lips! Lips of Spike!"

Grunts and gags came out of Spike's sweet lips and she almost wanted to cry. Did he loathe her that much?

She stared after the group that walked out of the crypt, her gaze shifting to the black-leather-coat-and-blonde-haired figure. A finger lingered on her lip as she tried to calm down the nerves that wanted to kiss Spike's lips again. "Shit." She mumbled under her breath when she realized that she wanted Spike badly.

**_TBC..._**


	2. Chapter 1

**Something Borrowed**

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**Chapter 1  
**

'In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.'

Slayer equals Buffy. Vampire equals Spike. And since Spike was a vampire, it was almost a rule that she had to kill him. In fact, she should have dusted him by then. Instead, she was in her bed, imagining his lips as she had memorized it earlier that day from all of the passionate kisses they've shared because of Willow's thy-will-be-done spell.

To fully take in the vision of Spike, she closed her eyes. She remembered the way his tongue grazed over her lips, the way he sucked and nibbled at them, the way he held her to him close enough to feel his desire for her. Soon after, she slumbered off, along with the thoughts of Spike.

She woke up abruptly, having just dreamed about having sex – no, making love – with Spike. "Oh God", she mouthed and then wrinkled her nose, disgusted with herself. It was bad enough that she wanted a vampire. But why, of all the evil blood-sucking fiends in Sunnydale, did she have to want Spike? Willow was to blame for all of this. If it wasn't for her, she wouldn't have felt Spike's kiss that left her unquenchable. Yes, it was definitely Willow's fault.

After Professor Walsh's class, Buffy decided to just pass by Giles' apartment where Spike just happened to be. She walked in, not even knocking.

"Come in, Buffy." Giles, who was sitting at his desk, said sarcastically.

She dismissed him when she saw Spike in the kitchen, getting some food. "Hey, Spike." He turned around with a confused and surprised look on his face, his brow arched, and then turned back to whatever he was doing, completely ignoring her.

"We're out of Weetabix." He said to Giles as he went into the living room, carrying a pack of crackers and a jar of peanut butter. "Get some more." He plopped down on the sofa and started to eat.

"I-I'll buy some." Buffy suggested and the two Brits looked at her in wonder.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Giles asked her.

She was, in fact, supposed to be in school and with Riley. "No… Not really."

Doubt wiped across Giles' face but he just shrugged it off. "Since you're here, I need you to stay here tonight and guard Spike. I'm meeting someone and-"

"What?!" Spike protested.

But Buffy only smiled widely and Giles furrowed his brows again. "Okay!" She sashayed over to the chair across the couch so that she could see him.

"Behave, you two." Giles said before heading out. Spike rolled his eyes and glanced over to Buffy who was staring at him wide-eyed and smiling.

"What are you looking at?" He arched his scarred brow and she bit her lip at how sexy he looked. And then she remembered how he asked her that yesterday, his tone and meaning totally different from how he asked her that then. She shook and then ducked her head when she felt her cheeks flush. Spike shook his head and turned his attention back to what he was eating.

"So… what do you want to do?"

An exasperated sigh came out of Spike as he rolled his eyes again before glaring at her. "You don't talk to me. I don't talk to you, yeah?"

Buffy pouted and shifted her glance at the coffee table before her. This new feeling she had for Spike was scaring and confusing her. She could only imagine how Spike would react if he found out. Though, it was pretty unlikely that he'll ever find out. All she had to do was not do anything about it. To not let her desire for him take her over.

She lifted her eyes to him again, skimming his lean body, and then thought that not wanting Spike would be harder than she thought. Her gaze landed on Spike's face and then she saw he was looking at her. "What?" It took a second or two for her to realize how aroused she became just by looking at him and Spike, with his enhanced smelling, could tell. She clamped her legs together, hopefully to not give him the satisfaction of knowing she wanted him. But it was too late; he sneered at her knowingly. She evaded his eyes again, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. When she no longer felt Spike's eyes on her, she looked at him again and watched him eat. _God, even the way he eats is sexy_, she thought.

She snapped out of her daze when she heard Spike chuckle. "Like what you see, pet?"

She scoffed for effect. "Ego much?" She folded her arms across her chest, ashamed that she was caught. "I wasn't staring. I was guarding. That's why I'm here. Guarding."

Spike eyed her for a moment and then got up. "I'm taking a bloody shower." He headed towards the bathroom with Buffy following him with her eyes.

And that just made Buffy shiver. She imagined how Spike would look in the shower, all wet and naked and… wet.

She then got up and followed him. Slowly, she turned the door knob and pushed the door open. Her mouth hung open when she saw Spike's shadowed figure through the shower curtain. She immediately got rid of her clothes and hopped into the tub. Spike hurriedly turned around and screamed. "What the- what the-!!" He pulled on the shower curtain and covered himself with it. "What the bleeding hell are you doing?!" Buffy took a step closer and Spike took a step backward, his leg hitting the edge of the tub, making him fall backwards onto the floor. He scrambled for his clothes and covered himself. "Have you gone completely bonkers?!"

"Ugh!" Buffy realized what she had done and quickly got out of the bathroom, taking her clothes with her.

Spike sat still on the floor, his face filled with horror. Back out in the living room, Buffy got dressed as she cursed herself endlessly for what she did. What the hell was she thinking? This must be a spell. This must be a spell. She repeated those words over and over in hopes that it would be true.

Spike walked out of the bathroom, his expression still read of horror. However she tried to deny it, the look on his face hurt her, once again. "Sorry." She mumbled and stared at her hands which were placed firmly on her lap as she expected him to tease her endlessly and say something rude and hurtful now.

Instead, he sat beside her on the couch and mumbled back. "It's alright. Must be a spell." She looked at him wistfully, surprised at how he had reacted. "Just don't bloody do anything like that ever again or I'll suck you dry." And then she just rolled her eyes.

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**_TBC..._**


	3. Chapter 2

**Something Borrowed**

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**Chapter 2  
**

Oh, but it definitely was not a spell. She knew it in her gut. It sickened her that she could not take her mind off Spike even if she had not seen in him days after she decided it was best to stay clear of Giles' apartment. She would particularly think of him at night, when she lay on her bed, and then she felt guilty and ashamed because Willow would be just a few feet from her while she drooled over thoughts of him.

So she decided to patrol again that night to clear her head and hopefully dust some vamps. But subconsciously… maybe… she wanted to see Spike and wished so bad he was there.

Just a few meters away, she saw a familiar vamp, measuring the back of a crypt. She hesitated at first but finally decided to approach him. She walked slowly to him, jumping back when Spike turned to her in his vampire visage. "Oh." He turned back to his human face when he saw who it was. "It's you."

"Hi." was all that she got out. She rolled her eyes at how pathetic she must have seemed then. He shrugged and started measuring the crypt again. "Watcha doin'?" She asked, but he just ignored her. He started to walk around to the side of the crypt and she followed him. "You're looking for a place to stay?" She asked again but he still didn't answer her.

Instead, he threw his hands up in frustration. "Sod off, will you?"

But she did not. She did not want to. She wanted to see him. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted him. She so did. "You could stay at my house this weekend with me, if you want. Mom won't mind." It was the craziest thing to suggest, she knew it. But she really, REALLY, wanted to be with him. He turned to her and glared. "O-or not." She ducked her head and fiddled with the stake she was holding.

"There's something really wrong with you." He mumbled as he walked away from her to the other side of the crypt. She closed her eyes and braced herself for what she was about to do. She walked closer to him and spun him around so that he was facing her. "Wha-get off me!" He almost shrieked in a girly-like manner.

She gave him a smirk. "That's exactly what I'm doing: getting off you." Her hands wandered on his chest and landed on his waistband. "I know you want me."

"Really don't." He grumbled. And it seemed like he really did not. But she had to do something, anything, to have him want her too.

She grinned slyly. "He says otherwise." She slowly traced her finger over his zipper and felt what was underneath it harden.

Whether it was from anger or arousal, he tightened his jaw. "This is gonna sting." He shoved her away and then held his head in pain. He gritted his teeth, recovering from the sharp pang the chip sent to his brain. "The moment," he started, walking towards her until he was face to face with her. "The moment I get this soddin' chip out, I'll kill you." He was definitely furious at the thought that she was toying with him. But Buffy did not hear a word he said. All she did was stare at his lips and his jaw as they moved and thought that even that was sexy. She bit her lip and he noticed this. He slowly stepped back, confusion and revulsion, yet again, evident on his expression. "Stay the hell away from me, slayer, you and the lot, before I kill all of you." And then he disappeared into the darkness.

Even though he had just basically threatened her and her friends' life, she was too bothered about the loss of Spike's touch to even mind.

She ran after him, causing him to walk a bit faster. "Where are you going?"

He growled as he stopped and turned to her. "Didn't you hear what I just said?! Stay. The. Bleeding. Hell. Away. From. Me. You. Stupid. Bint!" He turned to walk again but then whirled around to face her again when he felt her walk after him. "And stop following me!"

His anger, surprisingly (or not), aroused her even more. He twisted his face up in disgust when he smelled it. She took a step towards him and spoke, "I want you, Spike."

Spike just eyed her intently, afraid that if he blinked even just for a second, she would have jumped on him.

"This is just… sick." He wrinkled his nose again and walked away from her.

She watched him go and mumbled to herself, still trailing after him. "Don't I know it."

He finally stopped again, tilting his head back in aggravation. "I'm not gonna get rid of you, am I?"

"Nope." She answered cheerily.

"Right, then." He handed her the measuring tape. "Measure the crypts and find the largest one." In the back of his mind, he knew she would never be bossed around, especially by him, that was why he was smirking. He figured she would be running away in a second. So that was his first plan to get rid of her: treat her like dirt.

But to his surprise, she smiled even wider. "Okay."

Buffy almost skipped to a crypt nearby. He watched in awe and confusion again as the slayer, a demon-killing girl with innate super-human strength who could have snapped him like a twig if she wanted to, hopped around to find him, a vampire, a home.

"Bloody bizarro land's, what it is." He muttered as he sat down and rested his back on a tombstone. After a few minutes of the slayer running around and measuring crypts and of the vampire sitting around and smoking, Buffy finally finished going through every crypt in the cemetery.

She hurriedly ran to him and almost squealed, "All done."

"So which one do I stay at, pet?" He said uninterestedly. She held out a hand to him to pull him up and he hesitantly took it. They stood for an awkward moment just holding hands before Spike yelled again. "Let go of my hand!"

And she did, reluctantly. "Sorry. Come on, I'll show you."

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**_TBC..._**


	4. Chapter 3

**Something Borrowed**

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**Chapter 3  
**

Spike walked into the crypt and looked around, surveying the space which would be his new home. "Good. Nice." He looked at Buffy who was still watching him from the entrance of the crypt. "You can go now." He shooed her away with his hand. But Buffy just stood there and stared at him so he repeated, "I said, you. Can. Go. NOW." Spike was getting pissed off. He wanted to be as far away from her as possible mainly because she was scaring him. "Are you deaf?!" He marched up to her, grabbed her by her arm violently and pushed her out of the crypt. But he was not going to get rid of her that easily. She held on to his hand and used it to pull herself to him and place a kiss on his lips. "Oh!" He jerked away from her, horror, again wiping across his face. "Bloody hell, Slayer! Stop doing that!" He said in between spits.

Buffy could not help but frown at his reaction. "What don't you like about me?"

Spike looked up at her, face still screwed up in revulsion. "Let's see… EVERYTHING. Now get out of here before I slit your throat!" And he could really do it, if it wasn't for the blasted chip in his skull. He wanted her dead and he still did, even if she and her silly gang helped him after he escaped from the Initiative.

His anger, again, only made her want him even more, if it was even possible. "You can't do that. You have a chip, remember?" She swayed her hips seductively as she glided towards him, stopping when she was only a foot away from him.

"Well, I'd rather have a bleeding migraine than have you annoy me." He muttered and then remembered his plan to treat her like dirt so he can finally get rid of her. "If you plan on staying here for a while, we need to set some ground rules, yeah?" She only nodded, completely not paying attention to whatever he was saying and just finding joy in the fact that he was talking to her. "First off, this," he drew a square around him with his fingers, "area here, you don't enter. Off limits. Got that?" She nodded again obediently. "Second, clean this place up for me." He grinned evilly, crossing his arms across his chest.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You know, you don't have to be an asshole. You're not the big bad anymore." The way she said 'big bad' was unmistakably mockery. "You're not even the little bad."

"Get out!" He screamed.

And she finally did. She ran through the cemetery with an ache in her heart and she didn't know why. Was her attraction to Spike not just physical? Could she actually feel something for him other than hatred? It was not possible. It wasn't. She shuddered at the thought.

She got back to her dorm room where Willow was still fast asleep. It was like a freaking nightmare, she thought, one she wanted to get out of as soon as possible. So she lied on her bed again and forced herself to not think of the said vampire. But she did. Oh yeah, she did.

The worst thing was that her encounter with him just left her wanting him more. She cursed herself for going out and approaching him in the first place. And then she decided she should just think of Riley. Riley who was a normal guy, who was sweet and hot and alive. He was someone who did not have weird bleach blonde hair, who did not wear a leather coat and did not have a sexy accent or a sexy mischievous grin… Yay, Riley.

She woke up the next morning, startled, after she had just dreamt about Spike again. This time, they were in his new crypt. He had pushed her up against the wall and was grinding hard into her. Now that was sex. Not making love, but sex. Which is technically better than dreaming about making love to him.

God, she was sick.

Willow, who was sitting on her bed, reading what seemed to be a spell book, turned to her. "Bad dream?"

"Uh." Guilt flashed across Buffy's face. "Yeah. Very bad dream. Very, very bad dream."

"Not one of your prophetic dreams, is it?" Willow pouted worriedly.

"Oh. No. No…" She sat up as Willow turned her attention back to the book. Buffy then grumbled. "God, I hope not."

"What?" Willow looked up from her book again.

"Nothing." She said, smiling innocently. So there it was. Another day to force herself to not think about Spike. Great, she thought, sighing heavily.

She had just finished dressing up when someone, then, knocked lightly on their door. Riley pushed the door open and went in. "Hey."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Hey." She greeted back and he walked slowly to her, hands tucked in his back pockets. They gazed into each others' eyes meaningfully with Willow staring at them.

"I think that's my cue to say 'I have this thing that I should go to'." Willow grinned widely as she got off her bed. The two broke their gaze and smiled at her sheepishly.

As soon as Willow left the room, the two started making out on Buffy's bed, eyes closed, and hands exploring each other. When Riley slid his hand under her top, she moaned a name. But it wasn't his name. "Sp--". She opened her eyes widely, still kissing Riley, when she realized what she was about to say. It seemed that he was too preoccupied to even hear what she had started to say. It was a good thing too, because she didn't want to explain to him that while they were making out, she was actually thinking about Spike and how his kiss was way better than the one she was having right then.

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**_TBC..._**


	5. Chapter 4

**Something Borrowed**

**Yey! Thanks for all the reviews. You guys inspired me so much! :D I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one.**

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**Chapter 4**

Buffy looked forward to patrolling that night. Not just because she wanted to dust something and maybe relieve some of the sexual desire she had, but because she knew she might run into a certain bleach blonde vampire. And if she didn't, then she could just pass by his crypt.

She was getting used to how she felt about Spike – whatever it is she was feeling – more and more. It doesn't seem weird or disgusting at all. I mean, she was in love with Angel… and maybe still was. And he was a vampire too. Although a soul-having one. But Spike wasn't all that bad. He had a chip. That's like having an electronic soul.

It was the first time that she was so excited about patrolling and the gang definitely noticed. Xander joked about how she was never that excited even for Bronzing, which apparently they had to do some time. Willow thought it had something to do with Riley. Anya thought it was because of sex. Which partially, it was.

So there she was, walking through the cemetery, keeping a look out for vampires or maybe just 'a vampire.' And soon enough, she had spotted him.

Spike walked through the graveyard carrying a brown paper bag filled with alcohol, smokes and some pig's blood, which he still wasn't used to. He walked faster, sighing exasperatedly when he smelled a scent very familiar to him now. It wasn't like he had memorized her scent, but being around her all the time just made him fully aware of it. Hell, he had even memorized Xander's scent. "Great." He mumbled.

"Hey." She smiled widely, stepping in beside him. But again, he only ignored her. "Watcha got there?" She asked, gesturing towards the paper bag he was holding.

"A magic wand that'll make you go away."

If she was taking everything Spike said seriously, she would be really hurt then. But she chose to dismiss and ignore every hurtful comment he had to say about her. "You know, you really should have a place to store your blood. Keep them fresh. I could keep them for you, if you like."

He chuckled dryly at that. "So that I could see you more? Bloody unlikely."

On with the ignoring of hurtful comments. "Hm. Maybe you should find an old fridge and then get an extension cord or something for electricity."

"Good God, you're worse than Harmony." Although she did have a point.

"Hey! I'm not." She pouted, though she was kind of pathetic. But she certainly was not worse than Harmony! She wasn't! Ok, maybe she was at that moment.

"You are. At least she lets me shag her." He looked at her as she smiled widely again. She opened her mouth to say something but he quickly cut her off, realizing what she was about to say. "Not that I'd ever shag you."

"Why? I have girl-y parts and… super strength." She wiggled her eyebrows meaningfully at him which made him recoil in revulsion.

He pointed a finger at her. "Never say those words in that way ever again." And then a demon came at him, knocking him to the ground.

"Hey! Get off him!" She kicked the demon off him and threw a couple punches at it before it punched her which sent her flying to a tombstone. Spike got up hurriedly, snapped the demon's neck, and readied his hand to his head, waiting for the chip to fire.

After a few seconds of waiting, his eyes widened in realization. He turned, smiling widely, to Buffy who was still recovering from hitting her head on the tombstone. "I can kill demons!" He exclaimed cheerfully and then frowned when he noticed her pained expression.

"Yay you." She said, wincing as she gently tapped the wound on her temple.

Spike approached her, not knowing why he felt the need to check on her. Could he care about her? Hell no. There was no way in hell that that could happen. He held out his hand to help her up and she took it, her other hand still on her temple. He jerked that hand away roughly to take a look at her wound. Alcohol, leather and smoke filled her while he examined her cut. His closeness was just too much that it almost made her weak. She wanted to grab him and kiss him and maybe do much more than that. She inhaled as much of his scent as she could and stared at his lips and his cheeks, almost memorizing them again. "You'll live." The urge to stick out her tongue at him in a very childish manner as he walked away from her, brown bag in hand, came but she suppressed it.

"You can thank me later." She said as she ran after him.

"Thank you?!" Spike asked incredulously.

"You're welcome." She squealed gleefully.

He scoffed. "I saved your life. Therefore, you owe me a hundred bucks."

"What?! I so do not. I could've just left that demon to kill you but I didn't. So this," she said, pointing to her wound, "is all your fault. And _therefore_," She emphasized the word in mockery, "_you_ owe me." He rolled his eyes, raised his hand and just waved her off. "And you know how you can repay me?" Her tone was again seductive and suggestive.

He stopped walking to face her. "What don't you get, Slayer? I don't like you. In fact, I. Hate. You."

"You do not." She pouted.

"I really do." He raised his eyebrows, insisting his claim, and started to walk again.

She clutched his arm to stop him and make him look at her. "But... I like you."

The same horror-filled expression like the night Willow broke her thy-will-be-done spell came to Spike's face. "Gaaaah! Stay away from me!" He threw the paper bag he was carrying at her and then ran off as fast as he could.

"Ow!" The bag hit her on the head, on her cut, which made it bleed more. "Why do I even bother?" She grumbled, throwing the paper bag to the ground.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: You know the drill. :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: I'm sorry I couldn't prolong the Buffy torture. lol I felt so bad for her. Thanks again for the many reviews. :) Ok, changed the final line that said 'sat up'.**

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**Chapter 5**

Buffy got back to her dorm and explained to a worried Willow how she got the wound on her temple, carefully leaving out Spike from the whole story.

She bid her best friend goodnight, wanting to sleep everything – the wound, the whole Spike being able to kill demons, and her ever growing desire for the said vampire – off. Willow stayed awake, doing some minor spells and such.

A few minutes well into her sleep, she began to dream about Spike again. "Spike…" she whispered softly, but not soft enough for Willow not to hear. The red-haired witch turned to the soundly sleeping slayer, forehead wrinkled and mouth hung open.

"Buffy?" she called out to her, making sure she was asleep. And she saw that she was which only meant one thing: Buffy was dreaming about Spike. She turned back to her pencil-levitating spell wide-eyed and almost in shock and thought she needed an explanation.

Buffy woke up that Sunday morning with a huge smile on her face. She had gotten used to dreaming of Spike and felt that she should just enjoy them since the real Spike was an asshole. "Good morning." She greeted Willow who had just finished combing her hair. Willow smiled at her awkwardly, still thinking about Buffy calling Spike's name. Buffy pouted as she sat up, noticing her reaction. "Something wrong?"

"No. No… At least, I think so." Willow fidgeted with the comb she was holding.

"What?"

"Well, it's just that… last night… you were dreaming…" Willow started and Buffy's eyes grew wide.

"A-and?" She asked nervously.

"Uhm." Willow shifted at where she stood. "You kind of said 'Spike'."

"I-I did?" She remembered the many times she said his name in her dream and blushed. "Oh God." She groaned while she buried her face in her hands.

"I believe that 'oh god' means that what I was thinking's right." Willow grinned, sitting down on Buffy's bed.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone." She begged. "It all started with that spell you did that made us engaged! And then I kept dreaming and thinking about him after that…" she trailed off when she saw Willow's smile. "What?"

"You think Spike's hot." She said, still smiling widely.

"I so do." She fell back down to her bed. "Ugh! I think I'm disgusted with myself."

And she really was disgusted with herself. But that didn't keep her from trying to see him and trying every possible way to get him to like her. So there she was, in front of his crypt again that night, carrying a couple bags of pig's blood since he had thrown those he had bought the other night at her. She pushed the door open gently and saw Spike lying down on the sarcophagus, some flimsy cloth draped over him. Beside him lay a blonde-haired girl and she immediately knew who it was. It was Harmony, whose head rested on the chest of the vampire she was lusting over.

As much as she tried to stop them, tears filled her eyes. She chuckled dryly at how pathetic she was and placed the paper bag of blood on the floor by the crypt opening. Just then, she heard movement. She looked up and saw Spike had sat up. "Slayer?"

"Oh. Hi. I just…" She swallowed hard as she tried to get rid of the shaking and breaking in her voice. "I just wanted to give you the blood you left last night."

They both stayed silent for a while as Buffy stood and Spike sat still. "Thanks." He murmured and then waited for her to leave, but she didn't. She was obviously upset about something, and it was probably his fault. He then wanted to comfort her, not really knowing why he should. He turned to Harmony to check if she was still sleeping soundly and got off the sarcophagus, surprisingly, wearing pants. He marched up to her and Buffy readied herself to be man-handled by him once again. But this time, he took her arm much gentler, brought her outside and closed the door behind them. He sat on the steps in front of the crypt and motioned her to do the same, which she willingly did. "How's…" He pointed at the patch on her temple with his head.

"It's fine. Fast slayer-healing, remember."

"Right." He nodded.

Awkward silence followed.

"So… you and…" She couldn't hide the jealousy in her voice but she didn't feel the need to do so.

"Yeah. She came back last night after my fleeing away from you."

"Great." She forced a smile even though she really didn't want to smile.

Silence again.

"This doesn't mean I like you." He said matter-of-factly, breaking the silence.

"I know." She suddenly found herself very intrigued with the soil on the ground.

And again, silence. It wasn't like that with them before, he thought. Something definitely changed and that, much more than anything, scared him.

"Do you really…?" He started, and she looked at him.

"What?"

"Like me?" He asked anxiously.

"I think so… I mean, I dream about you a lot… and think about you much more than that…" she broke off when she saw the terrified expression on Spike's face. "B-but don't think I wanted this. I didn't want to fall for an evil, soulless thing. And besides, I have a boyfriend and I'll be forgetting about you in no time."

He didn't know why but he wanted to say something like 'what?!' or 'who's that wanker?' but all he could say was "Good." Since last night, his hate for her seemed to have lessened. He paused for a moment and then continued, "You know, I really am evil."

"Not anymore."

He wrinkled his forehead and insisted, "I still am!"

"You so are not." She smiled teasingly.

He snorted, "I think you should go now."

"Fine." She got up and gave him the sweetest smile she could muster. "Night, Spike."

Spike stared after her and found himself trying hard not to replay her smile in his mind over and over again. "God, I need a drink." He muttered as he stood up and walked back into his crypt.

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**To be continued…**

**Review again please. :D**


	7. Chapter 6

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: Since I can not thank the anonymous reviewers individually, a big THANK YOU to all of you. :D**

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**Chapter 6**

It has been a week since she last saw Spike, since she decided to avoid him. She figured she should just focus on school, slaying and Riley. But she didn't think that avoiding him would only make things worse. It only doubled the time she spent thinking about him and doubled the time she spent imagining him, and tripled the sex in her dreams of him.

The gang's pending Bronzing had finally arrived and she was glad about that. It was a time to just enjoy and to hopefully not think about a certain neutered vampire.

She sat among her friends in the Bronze, but her mind was still totally elsewhere. Was it even a surprise anymore who she thought about? As per usual, it was Spike. Spike and his lips. Spike and his black leather coat. Spike and his smirk. Spike and his obviously well-muscled, chiseled body. Spike and…

There he was! Sitting at the bar and drinking. She didn't think she would be seeing him. Maybe she should've worn something more revealing.

"Spike's here!" She exclaimed, more excitedly than she wanted and everyone looked at her confusedly, except for Willow who almost choked on her drink. "I mean, he's here."

"And?" Xander raised an eyebrow questioningly at her.

"I-I should go talk to him." She stood up and headed to him before she even heard what the gang had to say.

"What? Why?" Xander glanced at everyone who just shrugged and at Willow who ducked her head, evading his eyes.

"Spike." She greeted him.

Spike closed his eyes and groaned in annoyance. He wondered if she was just doing this, annoying him to death, to get him to leave Sunnydale since she couldn't bring herself to dust him. "Bugger off."

"This is a public place." She smiled and sat beside him.

He should be standing up and running away from her again, but he didn't because he didn't want to and he really didn't know why. It must have something to do with him not hating her as much anymore. "Isn't it past your bed time?"

"It's a Saturday… and I have no bed time." She folded her arms across her chest as he looked at her blankly. Her gaze shifted from his lips to his eyes. _Wow_, she thought, _Spike has beautiful eyes_. She had never noticed them before since she was too hypnotized by his lips. And then she bit her lip.

He rolled his eyes and looked away from her. "Bloody hell. Would you stop doing that?" The reason why he wanted her to stop biting her damn lip was because he was starting to like it. A little. And God, he didn't want that.

She didn't hear the rest of his whining when she thought of a way to get him to want her: force him to. With what? With her kiss.

She was a good kisser… or at least, she had been told by Riley, who was her boyfriend… sort of… who couldn't really say that she was bad at it. So she pretended to notice a guy and a girl heading out of the bronze. "Vamp."

"What?" He furrowed his brows at her.

She stood up. "Aren't you coming?"

"Why would I?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.

"You can't kill humans. You can kill demons. Should I expound on the fact that you like killing?"

He stared at her for a moment while he considered if he should go with her. As much as he liked killing, he really didn't like her or spending time with her or being around her for very different reasons now since they've first met. So he shrugged and turned back to his drink.

"Fine. Scaredy-cat."

He turned to her, jaw dropped. "What?! I am _not_ a… scaredy-cat!" He jumped out of his seat and motioned her to go first. Buffy smiled to herself as they headed out of the Bronze. "So, where's this vamp?" He looked around the alley and saw neither a girl screaming for her life nor a vampire getting ready to feed. He clenched his jaw when he realized there really was no vampire to dust. "What's-" He broke off when she gripped his hand and pulled him into the darker part of the alley. "Hey!" He protested, trying to release himself from her grasp.

She pushed him into the wall, facing her, and hurriedly leant in and kissed him roughly, holding his face between her hands, stifling any further protests that should come out of his mouth. He stood still, eyes read of horror, at first. But after a few seconds of struggling, his eyes closed in pleasure and their kiss became languid, tongues memorizing the other's mouth. His hands wrapped around her waist instinctively as she snaked her arms around his neck.

When she finally pulled away from him, smiling and biting her lip and eyes burning with desire, he narrowed his eyes at her, surprised at what she did and surprised, even more, by his reaction. "Thanks. That's all I needed." She grinned mischievously at him and then walked away, back into the Bronze, leaving him confused more than ever in the dark alley.

Spike stood still for a good couple of minutes, thinking about what just happened and why it did. But for whatever reason, he liked it. He wanted it. He wanted her. NO, he wanted a good shag. He didn't want her. He didn't. He shouldn't. Ok. Maybe he did.

He stormed into the Bronze again, scouring through the crowd for the slayer, ready to take her then and there until he stopped in his tracks when he saw some poncy-looking wanker (how many insults could he fit in in one name-calling?) holding her hand and being all sweet to her. Cutting the guy's throat was his first instinct as he continued to walk toward the group. But he wasn't jealous. He really wasn't. He was… not. He was pissed off. Not because of the guy. He was just pissed off. At her. Because she's the slayer and he's a vampire. Yes. That was it. Not because he was jealous. He wasn't. Really. He stopped again and scoffed, "Bugger this." He rolled his eyes and then turned to leave.

He barged into his crypt, VERY ready to shag. "Harm!" He called out to his 'girlfriend' and grinned at her sleazily.

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**To be continued…**


	8. Chapter 7

**Something Borrowed**

**Disclaimer: You all know I don't own BtVS. None of us do. But we can dream. :D**

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Chapter 7

Spike crawled on top of Harmony, who lay only in her underwear on the sarcophagus, and made his way to place soft kisses on her neck. When he pulled back, he almost fell off the coffin in surprise. "Aaah!" He quickly got off the other vampire and off the sarcophagus.

"What's wrong my little blondie bear?" Harmony asked as she sat up.

What's wrong? He just imagined someone else lying down beneath him, that's what's wrong. Worse, he saw Buffy. He saw the slayer.

"Fuck." He grunted. This was Buffy's fault, he thought. If she hadn't been prancing around him all the time making moon eyes and kissing him, he never would have felt that way.

"That's the plan." Harmony giggled.

"Not now, Harm!" He snapped at her as he paced back and forth, thinking why, of all people, he had to want _her_. She was supposed to be his mortal enemy. He should have killed her years ago when he had the chance.

"Ugh!" Harmony angrily made her way off the coffin and got dressed. "I don't know why I even came back for you!" She strode to the door and turned to him. "I'm leaving!" Although she knew she didn't mean anything to him other than being someone he shags, she at least expected him to stop her, being that she's someone he shags. But maybe he just didn't hear her. "I said, I'm leaving!" But he just rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Ugh!" She stood still for a moment before finally speaking softly. "I'll be back later. I'll just find myself something to eat."

"Don't bother." He grumbled.

The next night, he decided to patrol. Yes, patrol, since he needed a way to let out steam. Not because he wanted to see a certain Slayer. But he did, eventually, see her.

"Spike? What are you doing out here?" She asked as she approached him.

"I'm… what you call patrolling." She raised an eyebrow at his answer. "What? I need to get my rocks off somehow." Her face lit up and she opened her mouth to say something. He then realized what she was about to suggest so he held up a hand to stop her. "Not in _that_ way."

"If you say so." She grinned slightly at him and they started walking.

At one point during their very awkwardly silent stroll around the cemetery, her hand brushed against his. He tensed at the feel of her skin against his and almost frantically jerked his hand up. He then folded his arms across his chest.

"What's wrong? You're all twitchy." She pouted.

"Shut your gob." He answered angrily, after which, he cursed himself for feeling whatever he was feeling.

Silence.

"Spike?" She said softly.

"What?" He asked in a forced indifferent voice.

"I-I still really like you."

He rolled his eyes and grunted. "Oh, for God's sake." He then took her hand roughly and pulled her.

She gaped at their hands whose fingers were entwined and gasped, "You're holding my hand." She didn't protest or try to stop him. She just followed to wherever he was taking her. The next thing she knew, they were in front of his crypt. "Spike?"

But he didn't answer her. Instead, he burst into the crypt, startling Harmony. "Harm, get out!"

"What?!" Buffy and Harmony asked simultaneously.

He let go of Buffy's hand and left her by the door. He then took Harmony harshly by the arm and shoved her outside, closing the door on her face that was full of hurt and confusion. With one swift motion, he carried Buffy in his arms in a bride-like manner and made his way to the sarcophagus.

Buffy's heart raced. Compared to the many sexual fantasies she had of Spike, what was happening then was much more like a dream and definitely more erotic (since it was the real thing).

He set her down on the coffin, legs dangling on either side of him. She smiled cheekily and teased him in a husky voice, "Do you want me now?" And again, he told her to shut her 'gob' but in a sexier tone of voice. And that only made her more aroused.

He hooked his hand under her knee and pulled her closer to him, making her moan from the contact. "You should've worn a skirt, pet." He mumbled, his lips almost touching hers, as his hand ran up and down her thigh, sending shivers through her.

"Spike…" She begged him.

He answered her plea with a trail of soft kisses down her neck, which she arched impulsively. They gazed at each other's desire-filled eyes for a while before he rested his forehead on hers and began to fumble with the button of her pants. Not a second longer, they've managed to discard each other's clothes without having to stop their languid kissing.

Moans, gasps and screaming of names echoed in the crypt until they both climaxed and finally broke away from each other. They lay on the coffin side by side but completely oblivious of the other. Spike had his back turned to Buffy while she stared at the ceiling covered only by his coat.

In the many times she had imagined having sex with him, she never once thought it would feel _that_ good. But, in those dreams, they'd end up cuddling or spooning or doing some other things couples in love do after having sex. And that felt better.

"Aren't you going yet?" She heard him mumble. She must have been a fool to think Spike would actually _make love_ to her. Spike's evil. She knew that. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

She slowly got off the sarcophagus, clutching his coat to her bare chest. She did that not just to cover herself but mostly so that she could feel closer to him somehow, even though they've just shared something that was supposed to be intimate. She then gathered her clothes that were sprawled on the floor and immediately got dressed. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she hurriedly wiped them off with shaking hands lest he sees them.

Spike closed his eyes, wanting to forget everything that had just happened. He fucked her. He fucked her when she was the type of girl one should make love to. Because she deserved it. Because she deserved to be loved.

And then she was gone.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: The last part kind of made me sad… But Spike is still technically evil here so… Sorry.**

**Didn't like it? Tell me. **


	9. Chapter 8

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: I had a hard time writing this chapter and because of that, I barely slept last night. I rewrote it so many times and I THINK this is the best version. So I hope you'll like it.**

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**Chapter 8**

"Buffy?" Worry wiped across Willow's face when Buffy burst into their dorm room with tears leaving stains on her cheeks.

"Will… I…" She got out through her pants and sobs. "I messed up… I…"

The red-haired stood up from her bed and walked to Buffy who was standing, back resting against the door. "What happened?"

Buffy's eyes widened as tears fell from them. "Spike and I… Spike and…" She barely got out, still recovering from running all the way from Spike's crypt.

Without having to say much more, Willow understood her and frowned at her sympathetically. "Buffy, I didn't think… I just thought… I thought it wasn't like that." What she was trying to say was that she didn't know that Buffy liked him or could possibly have feelings for him. All she thought was that she thought Spike was hot – because he was. But nothing more than that.

"I… I need to tell Riley…"

Willow assisted her to her bed and tried to calm her down. "But… you and Riley aren't exclusive yet, right? So… No biggie… You'll just have to avoid Spike as much as possible and then you'll forget about him." If only Willow knew that she tried that already. But then again, what happened should be a wake up call. SPIKE DOESN'T WANT HER. "You should get some rest, ok?" Buffy nodded and lied back on her bed, unshed tears still in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Spike lay in his crypt alone. Harmony didn't come back, and she might never will, he thought. He sighed in relief which only lasted for a second. For some reason, he couldn't take his mind off the way the Slayer looked at him. The way her eyes shone from desire and hope and of very strong feelings that might eventually be love. And then he just hated himself more.

Although Harmony was almost the same way the first time they hooked up, he never once thought about how she felt or about her for that matter.

So what made the Slayer different? Well, for one, she was the Slayer. But aside from that, not much, really. So why in the bleeding, buggering hell can't he stop thinking about her? He thought and thought and thought without arriving at some conclusion he liked until he finally fell asleep.

Buffy got through the next day not shedding a single tear for or having deeply sexual thoughts or any thoughts for that matter about the damned neutered bleach blonde vampire. It must have had something to do with being too busy with school work or Riley. She figured it was because of the latter.

She only wished she could tell Riley about who she really was without having him freak out or never wanting to speak to her again or think that she was going crazy. Then everything would be perfect… aside from the fact that she still liked Spike.

If it was her choice, she wouldn't have patrolled that night. She didn't want to bump into Spike or see his crypt or see any vampire for that matter.

But due to Giles' insistence, she was in the cemetery again, hoping not to see him. She had already dusted two fledglings and was about to go back to her dorm when she felt the urge to go to Spike's crypt.

He was sitting on the sarcophagus, almost brooding. "There's this thing people do called knocking. Might want to try that sometime." He addressed Buffy without glancing at her.

She didn't think that having sex with him would make him nicer to her but she did think he would have been less of a jerk. "Wanna patrol?"

"I want you to go away." He said before taking a sip from the bottle of whatever hard liquor he had in his hand. How much he wanted her was starting to drive him crazy and he didn't want that. He wanted to have nothing to do with her. He was supposed to be the Big Bad and she was making him into a love-sick puppy like Peaches. Soon he'll be brooding, he thought.

Maybe it would be for the best if none of this happened, if she didn't do anything about what she felt for him. So she decided to tell him it wasn't real. That everything that happened those past few weeks were a lie and that she had no control over them. "Listen, Spike…" She started as she approached him and stopped a few feet away from him. "These past few weeks… You know… Me, wanting you and…" she trailed of when she found herself unable to say the words 'us having sex' because she knew it would hurt her. "It was all because of a spell." Spike, who had been trying to ignore her, suddenly shot his head up to look at her. "Someone cast this spell on me… so…" Fortunately, he didn't seem to wonder what kind of spell it was or who cast it because she wouldn't have known what to answer.

"Oh." He eyed her, searching for a sign that she was lying, but years of hiding from Joyce who she really was prepared her for that moment. She gazed directly at his beautifully blue eyes and didn't stutter once.

"You could just forget everything… and not tell a single word to anyone about it… Or you're dust."

"Right." He tried to say something longer and less disappointed and hurt-sounding but he couldn't think of anything. "Sure." He nodded.

She stood still, waiting for him to say that it wasn't a 'bleeding' spell; that she wanted him and he wanted her. But no such words came… only terrible, awkward silence.

Until he realized that he was supposed to be evil and should care less about her and about how she felt. "Or, I mean, I'll tell your friends."

She rolled her eyes at his pathetic excuse for a comeback. So did he.

"Night, Spike." She smiled faintly at him and his heart almost broke when he saw it. She turned and started to head out.

He quickly stood up and spoke to stop her, "Buffy." She whirled around; surprised that he had called her by her real name instead of calling her 'slayer'. "Stay away from me." He said firmly. Ok. Not really what he wanted to say but… it hurt! It bloody hurt. It hurt him and God, he didn't know why.

"Ok." She answered softly as she ducked her head and turned to leave again.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: Review, please. :D**


	10. Chapter 9

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: Not much Spuffyness here. But I still hope you guys like it and I promise there will be more Spuffyness on the next chapter. Another thing: Buffy isn't a slut. :D**

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**Chapter 9**

After everything she had been through with Spike, Buffy finally decided to take it to the next level with Riley. She deserved to be happy, she thought. And surely, Riley would make her happy. She could finally have the normality she wanted with him.

And Spike? Over him. Yep. Totally. Because she decided she was. Mind over matter, right?

She and Willow watched Xander and Anya dance in the middle of the fully – packed Bronze, completely unaware that someone was watching her too.

Spike stood across the room, watching her much like he did the first time. She was seemingly deep in thought, probably thinking about him, he thought.

"Ooh. There's Riley!" She straightened herself when she saw him enter the Bronze. Then she looked at Willow. "How do I look?"

"Perfect." The red-haired answered with a smile.

Spike raised an eyebrow when he noticed her change in demeanor. He glanced at the direction she was looking at and saw the guy he saw with her the other night. "Great." He grunted.

"Hey." Riley greeted Buffy and gave her a quick kiss.

"Excuse me." Willow said with a huge smile on her face and made her way to the dance floor where Xander and Anya were.

"Hey." Buffy answered softly.

Riley pulled out a stool and sat beside her. "So… You said you wanted to talk?"

"Uh… Yeah." She said nervously.

Spike, with his enhanced sight, tried to make out what they were saying.

"I just… want to know… what we are." She said, fidgeting with the cup she was holding.

"What do you mean what we are?" He wrinkled his forehead.

"I mean… We talk. We make out. We go on dates… What are we?"

"You're my… girlfriend?" He answered hesitantly and waited for her to correct him.

"Girlfriend?"

"O-or not… If you don't want to be."

"I want to be." She said, a sweet smile tugging at her lips.

"Ponce." Spike snorted when he saw Riley and Buffy kiss. He shook his head and took a drink from his bottle of beer. He saw Buffy stand up and walk over his way, possibly to go to the bathroom.

"Buffy." He said as he stood in front of her to stop her.

"Spike." She blurted out in surprise.

He took a deep breath and started, "Can we-"

"You said you wanted me to stay away from you. So that's what I'm going to do." So much for peeing, she thought.

"But I-" _can't stop thinking about you_.

"No."

"Bloody hell, would you let me finish?" He said impatiently.

"No." She turned from him and headed back to where Riley was.

He clenched his jaw in frustration and strode to the two, catching them just as they got up. "Buffy." He tapped her shoulder making her whirl around. She rolled her eyes when she saw who it was.

"Friend of yours?" Riley asked her.

Spike and Buffy spoke at the same time.

"Yes."

"No."

"Ok." Riley chuckled.

"Riley, this is Spike. Spike, this is Riley, my _boyfriend_." She emphasized the word more by taking Riley's hand and lacing their fingers.

"Nice to meet-" Riley held out a hand to shake Spike's hand.

But Spike ignored him. "I need to talk to you."

"I…" The defenses she had put up against him were slowly crumbling down. "Not now, Spike."

"I think I know you." Riley suddenly said as he stared at the vampire.

But Spike just ignored him again. He took Buffy's arm and began to pull her. "Let go of me", she said, though lacking of the anger she wanted.

Riley quickly intervened, placing a hand on Spike's chest to stop him. "Hey. She said let go, pal."

"I'm not your pal, you wanker." Spike swatted his hand away, ignoring the pain the chip caused him.

"What?" Riley wrinkled his forehead and shoved Spike away from Buffy. "Go. Now."

Spike gritted his teeth knowing he couldn't fight him because of the soddin' chip in his brain. He glanced at Buffy, looking into her eyes, almost begging her to choose him over Riley. Her heart ached when she saw hurt, more than anger, in his eyes. But she didn't say anything or do anything. He then threw his hands up in the air in surrender and walked away.

But he didn't leave the Bronze. He waited for them to come out in the dark corner of the alley. And when they did, he followed them closely behind.

They finally arrived at where they were headed and Spike almost screamed in anger as he hid behind the bushes. "They're going to her soddin' dorm room. They're going to her soddin' dorm room!"

When the two had entered the building, Spike continued to follow them until they reached her room. He stood for a few minutes in the hallway before knocking frantically at her door and then going back to the corner to hide.

Buffy opened the door and was surprised when she saw no one was there. "There's no one there." Spike heard her say as she closed the door again.

He waited for about a minute before repeating what he did. And again, Buffy opened the door and peeped out. "Someone's messing with us." Spike heard her say exasperatedly.

He repeated the knocking frantically and hiding for about ten more times until Riley finally decided to call it a night. "Maybe I should just go." He heard Riley say as he stood at Buffy's doorway.

"Yeah… I'll see you tomorrow." Annoyance and regret were evident in Buffy's voice.

Spike leered as he hurriedly tiptoed out of the building, hiding behind the bushes once again, as he waited for Riley to leave.

After he saw that Riley was no longer in sight, he came out from behind the bushes and stood at the entrance of her dorm. He pondered if he should go in and talk to Buffy but for some reason, he was afraid. He never felt anything for anyone since Dru and he could still remember how much it hurt when she left him. He didn't want to go through that again. So he decided to just go and try to forget Buffy.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: I know… Not really a great chapter. So don't put that when you review. Cause I know you will review… You know you want to… lol :D**


	11. Chapter 10

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: This chapter takes place before the funny classroom scene in Hush. For people looking forward to the 'Buffy chasing Spike' thing… as much as I ****LOVE**** torturing Buffy for treating poor Spike like shit in the series, we all need some Spuffy love! lol I didn't go to school today so, yey, another (short but Spuffy-tastic) chapter! Hope you guys like it as much as I do.**

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**Chapter 10**

Last night made Spike realize just how he felt about the Slayer. At first, he thought it was just want, that it was just physical. But after seeing her with someone else… He might just have feelings for her.

Maybe Dru was right. Maybe he was "all covered with her", as she put it.

But what then? Obviously, what she felt about him was all just because of a spell. The way she was with him last night was completely different than the way she had been with him those past few spell-filled weeks. She completely ignored him.

Plus, she had that stiff boyfriend who was an exemplification that people are to be considered happy meals with legs. He couldn't compete with that.

And now he has lost his voice. Apparently, it was some laryngitis break-out. Pfft. Like anything in this bloody town can be explained medically.

Classes were cancelled because of the lack of voices and Buffy, yet again, found herself in front of Spike's crypt that morning. She knew the whole ignoring Spike thing last night worked but now she just wanted to see him.

_Pathetic. _She couldn't even keep up the charade for more than a day.

She took a deep breath, deciding if she should go in or should just leave. Spike was probably asleep, since vampires slept during the day. But she was already there, so to hell with the ignoring Spike plan.

She pushed the door open slowly and found Spike fully awake, sitting on the sarcophagus. She went in and raised her hand to sort of wave at him. _He will run towards me and shove me out of his crypt_, she thought. Instead, he smiled faintly and waved back at her. Only a few things make Buffy blush and apparently, his smile and him waving back were two of them.

She approached him and sat beside him on the sarcophagus when she figured that he wasn't mad at her. He pointed at the message board she was holding and she made a gesture that seemed to say "Oh!". She then wrote on it and showed it to Spike.

Spike laughed (without a sound) when he saw "Hi!" written on it. He then took the message board and erased the 'hi'.

"What's causing this?" He wrote.

"Wow." Buffy mouthed, paying attention to his beautiful handwriting rather than to what he wrote.

Spike rolled his eyes and tapped the message board with the end of the whiteboard marker. "Giles is working on it." She wrote. "I'm sorry about last night."

She handed him the message board and he wrote, "It's ok, love."

Buffy bit her lip to stifle a huge smile when she saw what he had written. Spike frowned and quickly erased the word 'love'.

They sat in silence (like they had a choice) for a moment as Buffy gripped the message board nervously and as Spike stared endlessly at his hands.

Having had it with the awkwardness, Spike took the message board from Buffy and wrote on it again. "Was it all really just because of a spell?"

He held the board up to show her what he wrote. The floor became pretty stare-worthy as Buffy ducked her head, unsure if she should tell him the truth: that it wasn't a spell and she really did like him or tell him what she thought he wanted to hear, or read: that it really was just a spell and he could finally go back to wanting to kill her.

She decided to tell him the latter.

She glanced back at him, smiled weakly and took the board from his hands and wrote: "Yes."

Jumping up and down was what she expected him to do. But he didn't. Instead, he wrote on the board, "Thank God." She felt her heart wrench as she read what he wrote. But then a smile crept across her face when he continued, "Don't want you trying to hold my hand when we patrol."

She tugged at the board, erased what was written on it and wrote, "Who says I'll let you patrol with me?" She smiled teasingly.

He tugged the board back and snatched the marker from her hand, "Like you have a choice." She tried to grab the board and marker from him but he held it away from her at arm's length. She instinctively bent down across his lap to get it. They both tensed at the contact and she hurriedly sat back up as Spike thrust the board back to her.

They glanced at each other awkwardly before finding the floor stare-worthy, yet again. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Buffy wrote on the board. She then got off the sarcophagus and showed Spike what she had written. "I have to go do slayer-y stuff." He nodded and watched her leave.

Right. Now he was really done for. What he felt about her was _definitely_ not just physical. Talking to her made him feel normal, alive. Like he was human again. Like he wasn't a monster… because he was.

And then he wished he felt that way about her before the soddin' spell was broken.

Buffy almost ran out of the cemetery, cursing herself for feeling the way she felt about Spike and mentally punching herself for going to him in the first place.

But she figured it was for the best. Spike knew where they stood: mortal enemies turned allies. It was unfortunate, though, that it wasn't the way she wanted things. But it was for the best… It was.

Maybe if she thought it was for the best then it would be.

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**To be continued…**


	12. Chapter 11

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: This chapter takes place _after_ the very funny classroom scene in Hush and _before_ Buffy finds out about Riley being a commando… **

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**Chapter 11**

It was the scariest thing ever. Not being able to shout or cry or even whisper… Compared to all the other nasties she had encountered, what was happening was definitely a nightmare.

And to think they're fairytale monsters…

Spike had tried to not think about her after she had left him alone in his crypt. He did. But with the silence, thoughts of her only tortured him more, especially that she can't seem to stay away from him. So he decided to go to her and find out if it was all really just because of a spell.

Thanks to the sewers.

Buffy, meanwhile, decided to take a long, soothing shower that afternoon after Giles' 'presentation'. After spending at least thirty minutes just letting the water wash over her, she got out of the bathroom wearing just a robe.

Just as she went into her room, she whirled around as the door opened again with a bang. Spike burst in with this fierce look in his eyes. She cursed herself mentally for forgetting to lock the door. Was he going to kill her for almost humiliating him and ignoring him last night? But they just sort of made up this morning! More importantly, he was going to kill her in a robe. What a way to die. Damn those sewers that made it almost easy for him to go out during the day. Maybe she should scream or something… if only she had her voice. She then clutched her robe close in fear.

He nodded and locked the door behind him making her step back in fear that he will be lunging at her at any moment while she wasn't dressed to fight. He twirled around and slowly walked towards her, stopping when he was only a few inches from her face. She looked into his eyes that weren't filled with anger but with desire.

_Scratch that him killing me part._

Still not breaking their gaze, he slowly slid his arms around her waist and placed his forehead on hers, pulling her flush against his body. She then felt his hands slide to her front, to the knot of her robe, and slowly pulled it loose.

_Again, scratch that him killing me part._

She should have stopped him for a lot of reasons… mainly because she and Riley were officially together then… but she didn't want to. Instead, her hands slid under his coat and pushed it off him before his hands slid under her robe, leaving cold traces over her stomach and her back. Her hands made their way to his belt buckle and started to undo them but he grabbed her hands and stopped her. She looked at him confusedly.

_It wasn't a spell. It definitely wasn't._

He then kissed her softly and slowly led her to her bed. She laid back and watched him take his shirt off, still in awe of what was happening and then marveling at Spike's shirtless body. He bent down over her, kissed her passionately again, and slowly took the robe off her.

After hours of what seemed to be very passionate love-making, not fucking, they finally pulled away from each other. She turned her back to him and closed her eyes, waiting for him to leave because that was what she expected him to do.

But shivers ran through her spine when his arm snaked over her waist and when she felt him place soft butterfly kisses on the back of her neck. Her eyes shot open and she turned her head to face him. Deep blue eyes that shone with desire met her hazel ones. He then pulled her closer to him and kissed her nose. She turned back with a content smile on her face before they both slumbered off.

It was pretty dark when Buffy woke up. A smile tore at her face when she felt Spike still holding her and still soundly sleeping. She sighed, remembering that she had to patrol and prevent chaos and possibly kill the Gentlemen.

She tried to sit up as stealthily as she could but Spike held her back by tugging at her waist tighter. What was supposed to be a giggle came out of her lips as she turned to the vampire whose eyes had just fluttered open. He pouted as she mouthed, "I have to go." Reluctantly, he slid his arms off her waist and lied back on the bed, hands tucked under his head. She stood up and put her robe on before heading towards her closet to get something to wear.

The entire time, Spike didn't take his eyes off her even as she got dressed and even as he got off the bed and got dressed himself. He was so addicted to her then – how she looked, how she smelled, how she smiled – basically everything about her.

A frown came across his face when he saw that her smile had faded. He strode closer to her and lifted her chin up so that she was facing him instead of the floor. "Riley." She mouthed.

She had cheated on Riley and it devastated her, especially that it was just last night that they became officially together. With just one word, he nodded in understanding. He smiled at her weakly, his heart breaking when he knew he had to leave because she will never choose a dead, evil thing over Riley. He touched her cheek with as much love he could make her feel and then headed out of her dorm room.

The moment the door closed, it opened again as Willow came in with a confused look on her face. Probably wondering what Spike was doing here, Buffy thought. Willow waved at her awkwardly, still with the confused look on her face. Then she narrowed her eyes at Buffy, hung her mouth open and started hysterically pointing at her. Buffy tilted her head questioningly at her best friend. Willow then started pointing at her own neck, still hysterically.

Buffy's eyes widened when she thought of all the reasons Willow would do what she was doing. First, Spike may have bit her without her knowing. Second, she may have a hickey. Either way, she was so in trouble.

She hurriedly ran to her desk and picked up a mirror to look at her neck. Her jaw dropped when she saw the huge bruise-like hickey right above her pulse point. She then thought that she may have other hickeys in hidden places. She turned to her best friend who was standing, arms crossed across her chest, reprimanding her with just her glare.

She smiled innocently and sheepishly before ducking her head, evading Willow's eyes, and then headed out to save the day, yet again.

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**To be continued…**


	13. Chapter 12

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: Thank you to PurpleIvy (one of my anonymous reviewers) for your review. :)**

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**Chapter 12**

"Buffy, we need to talk." Willow sighed deeply as she sat down on her bed.

"There seems to be a lot of that lately." Buffy mumbled, sitting down on her bed in front of the red-haired. She just had a 'talk' with Riley about him being a commando and about her being the Slayer, which he still didn't get. _So much for normalcy_... And if she didn't wear a turtle neck that morning, they would have probably had another talk, one she didn't like to have, about Spike and all those things he does to her… _Oh. Right. Talking to Willow._

"Riley's sort of my friend and he's nice… I like him. And he really likes you. And what you're doing is-"

But she didn't need anyone else telling her what it was. She already knew it and oh how it tortured her. "Wrong… I know." Yes, wrong. Wrong in more than just one way. Wrong in the sense that she was with Riley and wrong in the sense that Spike was… well, Spike.

"You have to choose Buffy…." Willow said softly, concern, more than anger, in her voice.

She had to choose. She also knew that. But it was hard. God, it was hard. What she felt for Spike was twice – or even more - of what she felt for Riley, although it was nowhere near what she felt for Angel…

But Spike's supposedly evil and Riley's the perfect guy, aside from being a commando. "You're right." She nodded. "I'll fix things tonight."

"Just… whoever you choose, you know I'll support you." Willow smiled sympathetically.

"I know." But she didn't know. As much as she wanted to choose Spike, especially with what they've shared yesterday, what would her friends, specifically Xander and Giles, say? They really didn't like him… Heck, she didn't like him at first either. But the asshole they saw was just one layer of him.

However, it was still pretty obvious who she _should_ pick and she should probably tell that to Spike tonight. But considering how much she liked him… she should just try to avoid him and forget him again (like the first time worked) afterwards.

"Hey." She entered the said vampire's crypt that night, bearing in mind that her boyfriend was _Riley _and that maybe he was the one she should ask to patrol with her. "Want to patrol?"

"You sure that's what you want to do, love?" He smirked as he approached her.

Her lips started to curl to a smile but she suppressed it, remembering what it was she needed to do. "Spike, I…" But she broke off when he slowly ran his hands down her arms. A whisper of "Stop it" escaped her lips.

"Not really what you want, is it?" He whispered in a low, husky voice that gave her goose bumps. He then curled his tongue up between his teeth and quirked an eyebrow.

_Yes._ "No." She said rather unconvincingly as she closed her eyes from the sensation of his touch. He stared at her, reveling in the fact that his touch could arouse her that instantly.

But he dismissed it and stepped away from her. He knew if he did anything more than what he did, he wouldn't be able to stop himself. So he took her hand and pulled her out of his crypt to patrol.

A few minutes into their very quiet patrolling, he mumbled, "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Spike, the Big Bad, is apologizing to me?" She teased him, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

But he answered in all seriousness, "It was wrong, is all."

She stopped walking, gripped his hand to stop him and pulled him to face her. "It's ok. It wasn't just your fault… I wanted it. I wanted you…" She paused for a second before saying ever so softly, "I still do."

He cocked his head and then smiled smugly. "Thought it was just because of a spell?"

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes and chuckled. As the thought of the talk she had with Willow hit her, she frowned and bowed her head. "But…"

He knew what she was going to say. _It had to come sometime, anyway._ "Is this the part where you tell me 'we can't do _this_ anymore'?" He cocked his head again in such a cute way and it made everything harder. He gazed into her eyes and seemed to get the answer he was looking for so he nodded. "Maybe we could go back to being arch nemeses." He muttered as he smiled weakly.

It wasn't really the answer she was expecting. She thought he'd completely disagree and have her on her back by now. Just goes to show how much she didn't know about him. And that just made her want to know him more. It seemed like there was much more to Spike than just his black leather coat and sexy smirk. So before she could change her mind back to doing what was right and what her friends wanted, she grabbed his face and crashed their lips together in a torrid kiss.

When she pulled away for air, he whispered. "Not really what enemies do, love."

Then they heard a branch snap, making them jolt away from each other in surprise. They turned to the bushes where the noise came from and saw Riley emerge from it. "Buffy?" Spike and Buffy shot awkward glances at each other before turning back to Riley. "What are you doing out here?" He then looked Spike up and down, which seemingly added 'and with him' to his question. But Spike figured it was best to keep his mouth shut.

"I-I was patrolling… That's what I do… every night… as the slayer… H-how about you? What are you doing here?" She rambled nervously.

Riley answered, missing the nervousness in her voice and still not taking his eyes off Spike. "I'm tracking down an H.S.T. A vampire… Hostile 17." He then shot Spike a meaningful glare.

Buffy then realized he already knew who Spike really was. "Riley…"

"You have to come with me." He pointed his rifle at Spike, commanding him to do so.

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**To be continued…**


	14. Chapter 13

**Something Borrowed**

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**Chapter 13**

"You have to come with me." Riley said firmly.

But as soon as he pointed his gun towards Spike, he hurriedly ran away. Riley started to move to go after him but Buffy placed a hand on his chest and stood in front of him to stop him. "Please, don't." She pleaded.

"Buffy, it's my job."

She wondered how she could convince him without having to say that she had feelings for the said vampire. "He's… my friend. And he's not evil anymore." Although maybe he still was. But she didn't care anymore. She had feelings for him whether he was evil or not.

But Riley knew that evil people – or things – don't change overnight so he chuckled dryly. "It's because of the chip we put in his brain." He defended.

"Just…" He wasn't wrong. "Please? For me?" It was wrong to use his feelings for her to protect someone else, especially one who she had feelings for, and she knew that. But she was desperate.

Riley sighed in defeat. He has never met anyone like her and it wasn't a surprise that he has fallen completely in love with her in just a matter of weeks. "They're going to find him, one way or another."

"I know. Please just… don't tell the rest you saw him." She pleaded, again.

And Riley obeyed. He let her go find him and possibly hide him, ignoring the consequences he will be facing if Professor Walsh found out he let a hostile sub terrestrial go.

Buffy hurried after Spike who has not gone that far. "Spike!" She called out to him and he stopped and turned to her. "We have to hide you somewhere."

But he returned her kindness and willingness to put him first with blame. "This is your fault, Slayer!" He shouted, pointing a finger at the slayer who stood, shocked at what he had just said.

"What?!" She wrinkled her forehead in disbelief. "We _hid you_ from them! We gave you shelter and food and… shelter!" She defended with the same raised voice Spike used.

He shouted again, still pointing a finger at her. "No! You held me hostage!"

"You. Are. Unbelievable!" She groaned in frustration.

"If you hadn't been prancing around me all the time, with your beautiful smile and your bouncy shampoo commercial hair and all your… beauty and sweet-talk, I would have left Sunnyhell weeks ago and your dear tumble, who just happens to be one of the commandos, wouldn't have been able to find me and then I-!" He stopped his ranting when he saw that she was smiling instead of glaring. "What?!"

"You said I'm beautiful."

He shifted in embarrassment and stared at the ground. "Yeah. Well… Don't get used to it." She walked over to him and took both of his hands in hers. "Why are you helping me?" He mumbled as they gazed into each other's eyes.

She smiled sweetly and answered, "I told you… I like you." The other times she had said those words, Spike had run off but that time, he only gripped her hands tighter, saying what he couldn't say. Admitting to him self that he may, in fact, like her back was one thing but actually saying it to her was another. "Come on." She let go of one of his hands and pulled him by the other.

They made their way out of the cemetery and headed, possibly, to one of the scoobies' houses. He hoped that they were headed to Rupert's because he really liked it there. He had Weetabix, and how he loved mixing Weetabix in blood, and he liked talking to him sometimes, because he was British.

But then he saw familiar surroundings, not those of which he saw at Giles'. He pulled Buffy back, protesting, "I'm not staying at this dump!"

"You don't have a choice." She pulled him harder to the Harris residence's basement door. She then knocked fervently, hoping to wake Xander up since he was probably already soundly sleeping. After a few seconds, they heard a rumbling noise from inside.

Xander opened the door with heavy-lidded eyes and spoke gruffly. "Buffy. It's two in the morning."

"Yeah." She said as she pushed him aside and pulled Spike into his place.

"Come in." Xander said sarcastically.

"Spike's staying here for a couple of days."

Xander's partially closed eyes then shot open. "What?! Why?"

"The commandos are looking for him. We can't have him be taken again."

"And again I ask… why?"

Buffy closed her eyes tiredly. "Xand…"

Xander sighed heavily but agreed. "Fine. But I'm tying him up."

"He won't hurt you. He's not evil anymore." She said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Still am." Spike insisted.

Xander pointed at Spike and raised his eyebrows, seemingly saying 'see?'

Buffy then gave Spike a look that said 'do you want me to gag you?'. And he got the message instantly. "I-I mean… Yeah. Not evil. And I'm never biting you, you whelp."

"Are we going to have to talk about how moist and delicious I am?" Xander placed his hands on his hips.

Buffy wrinkled her nose and immediately cut the very awkward conversation short. "So can he stay here or not?"

Xander waved a hand. "Fine."

"Thank you." She smiled at Xander and then glanced at Spike. "Goodnight."

She went out the door, leaving the two inside the basement. But Spike followed her out, closing the door behind him. "Buffy." She turned back around to face him. "Thanks." She nodded in acceptance and turned to leave once more.

"Buffy." He called out again. She chuckled softly and whirled around to face him again. "I…" He wanted to say something sort of sweet but he couldn't bring himself to do so. "I don't hate you anymore."

"I think we've already established that." She smiled again, more affectionately. He smiled back and walked to her. He bore his eyes into her as he brushed her cheek with his cold yet comforting hand. He then kissed her, softer than any of the kisses they've shared.

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: See? I like Riley. :D Please review again.  
**


	15. Chapter 14

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: Oh my gosh, I missed you all! Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. School has been hell.**

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**Chapter 14**

Cheating was one of the things Buffy thought she would never do, particularly with someone who was everything she was supposed to loathe and be against. But she had never felt such desire, such want for anyone, before him. Not even when she was with Angel.

She would have broken up with Riley days ago if it had not been for everyone's obvious hate for Spike. Their opinions should not have mattered. But they did. Aside from that, a Slayer in love with a vampire? How would anyone react to that?

And with Riley being with the Initiative, the same group of people that hunted and made lab rats of vampires and demons, there's no telling what he'd do if ever he found out the truth.

So they settled for creeping out at night, finding dark enough places or even well-lit ones to have sweet, passionate, multi-orgasmic sex.

Multi-orgasmic.

It was probable that if it was not for her slayer strength, she would have been sore and limping for days after every night they'd have sex, which was every freakin' night, which would have meant that she'd be sore forever…

But no matter how often she felt him inside her, she still found her want for him unquenchable. Like his being inside her wasn't enough. She wanted him under her skin, coursing through her veins and – "Ooomph." She looked up from the floor of her dorm's hallway to the man she had bumped in to. "Riley! Hey! Riley!"

He creased his brows at her obvious anxiousness. "I was just heading to your room. I thought I could join you… patrol."

_So much for heading to Xander's to pick up Spike and go 'patrolling' with him_, she thought. "Sure. I was just heading out."

She was unnerved and guilty. Of course, she was. She spent the past few nights having sex with Spike. How else would she have felt? Particularly at that moment as she held hands with her boyfriend as they strolled through the cemetery.

Riley was as perfect as a boyfriend could be. And she liked him. She really did. But there were no sparks. No nothing.

As she tried to rid herself of guilt, a group of vampires approached them, every one in their game faces. She clasped her hands together above her chest and looked up at the clear night sky. "Thank you." She mouthed, thanking the Powers for sending the distraction.

She dusted two out of the five vamps as Riley fought the other two, electrocuting them instead of dusting them. A look of dismay fell on her face as she watched her boyfriend NOT kill the undeads. Fortunately, she was distracted when the largest of the pack ran towards her. "Wow, you're big." She said before hitting the almost gigantic vampire a couple of times on the stomach, making him double over in pain. "Doesn't mean I can't hurt you." She suddenly whirled around at the feel of a sting on her back and saw Harmony with a syringe in her hand.

"That's for stealing my boyfriend!"

Her instincts should have told her to dust the bitch before she runs away but instead, it told her to look for Riley and see if he heard what Harmony said. Thank God, he didn't. He was too busy tying up the bastards. "Bitch! What did you-" She was cut off by a strike to the jaw. The next thing she knew, she was laying on the ground six feet under. "Okay. That hurt."

"Buffy!" She barely heard Riley shout. She was too dazed from the pain she felt from different parts of her body. She winced and groaned as she rolled over; pulling her hand from under her hips. Tears of fear and of pain started to fill her eyes. She had never felt pain like what she was feeling at that moment just from falling a few feet. The horrifying thought of what Harmony might have injected to her crossed her mind, along with the memories of her eighteenth birthday: Cordelia rescuing her, Giles lying to her, saving her mother… and did she mention Giles lying to her? _It's an organic compound of muscle relaxants and adrenal suppressers. The effect is temporary. You'll be yourself again in a few days. _A sigh of relief escaped her lips when the huge vampire turned to dust above her. "You okay?" A loud 'yes' was the answer he expected from her. He knew pretty well that she could handle herself as she was 'not so much with the damseling'. Hell, she was stronger than him.

"I… I can't move my other foot… a-and my wrist." As much as she tried to calm herself down and to not feel the pain, her voice still trembled. Though surprised from her answer, Riley didn't hesitate for a second to jump into the open grave and help her.

Spike, Xander and Anya sat on the couch in the Harris' basement, watching television, like it was the most normal thing, when the phone rang. "Answer it." Xander nudged Spike who was sitting beside him.

Spike screwed his face up. "I'm not missing this scene, you git! They have hot, hot sex. Besides, this is your home." He defended and turned back to the movie 'Titanic'.

Xander sulked. "You need a girlfriend... or a couple... and a life." He reluctantly got up and walked over to the stand where the telephone was. "Buffy got what?" Spike's ears perked up at the slayer's name and at Xander's worried voice. "Ahn, we have to go."

"What's wrong?" Spike stood up, stopping Xander and Anya from going out the door.

"Something happened to Buf-"

"I'm coming with you." He said, grabbing his coat from where it hung.

Something happened to Buffy.

Every moment he had shared with the slayer was tattooed on his mind. The feel of her small, soft hands on his shaft, the taste of her skin, her lips, her juices, the way she wiggled and writhed while he pounded into her, the muffled noises she'd make… Every single fucking detail, forever etched into his chipped brain.

He was bloody addicted to her.

But aside from all those sex-related things he loved about her, mostly he loved the way she smiled, the way she jutted her bottom lip out in a pout, the way she rambled on and on about things he could barely understand at times…

The only thing missing was her being all his. Although she had promised him she had not been sleeping with Riley, it wasn't enough.

Why was it that every time he fell in love, he had to share the woman or she had to hate him? Cecily thought he was beneath her, Drusilla fucked Angelus… and now Buffy… his sweet Slayer, belonged to someone else.

Wait… Did he just imply that he was in love with the Slayer?! Damn it!

The moment Xander opened the door to Buffy and Willow's dorm room, Buffy and Spike's eyes locked. Seeing his eyes that were flooded with so many emotions almost made her cry.

"What happened?" Spike pushed past Xander and Anya, heading straight to the slayer who sat on the end of her bed with bandages around her left wrist and left ankle.

"Some vampire injected-" Riley choked on the next word he was about to say when Spike shoved him aside.

"Yeah, not really talkin' to you." He kneeled in front of Buffy and gently traced her ankle which was elevated on a chair. His touch sent her tingles even through the bandages.

She gave an apologetic glance at Riley before explaining to everyone, but mostly to Spike, what had happened. "Some sort of drug or… I think it was the same one Giles used on me on my eighteenth birthday. Bottom line: it rid me of my slayer abilities. Good thing Riley was there-" She stopped when she heard a low growl from Spike. She shifted her eyes from Spike to Riley then back to Spike in nervousness. "A-and then I fell into an open grave."

Xander whispered to Willow who stood beside him. "Something's not right there."

Willow didn't know what to answer. "W-what? W-what do you mean?"

"Well, with the absence of banter and hitting… And with the touching and concern and…" Xander trailed off when he heard Riley clear his throat.

"Who did this?" Spike queried; completely oblivious to Xander's suspicions. He also ignored the stiff who was standing only a few inches away from them and was trying to stake Spike with his eyes.

"Harmony… She…" Harmony. Enough said. He huffed and stood up, determination replacing what was concern on his face.

"Spike?" He was a slave of passion, she knew that. And as it dawned on her what he was planning – or, no, not planning… Knowing Spike, he was not the type to just plan. He was for the doing. And she knew exactly what he was going to do. "Spike!" The echo of the loud slamming of the door smothered her calls to him.

_Bloody bint's going to pay._

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**A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter. The next one will probably take me longer to write. But reviewing might speed things up a bit. LOL. :)**


	16. Chapter 15

**Something Borrowed**

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**Chapter 15**

"Spike!" Buffy clamored as she tried to stand up on her right leg, the one that was not sprained, to chase after the obviously vengeful vampire. She didn't know why she cared too much when Spike could undoubtedly handle himself. She, on the other hand, could not at that moment.

Riley took a step forward, almost tripping over the chair Buffy had toppled over upon standing up. He grabbed her arm forcefully, underestimating his strength and seemingly forgetting that she was not, at that moment, the tough Slayer. "Where are you going?" Words escaped her mind, though she was fairly certain it was a rhetorical question and her lack of excuses was unimportant. The only answer she gave him was a wince as she jerked her arm away from his tight hold. "You can't go out there."

"He's right, Buf. Harmony may have gossiped to the whole demon world that you don't have your strength by now." Xander explained.

"He's right. Demons will most probably come and kill you." Anya blurted out.

Focus. She needed to focus. They were right. God knows what havoc will reek from the demons' knowledge of her temporary weakness. More importantly, they might just decide to kill her.

But all she could think about was Spike. "But-"

"Hostile 17 is not your responsibility." Riley stated firmly. He was either being over taken by his military background or he was jealous. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

"I-I'll call Giles. Let him know what's up." Willow said, walking to the side table where the phone was and ending the two supposed love birds' glaring contest.

She somehow felt that Buffy was not exactly telling the truth when she told her that she had broken things off with Spike; what, with the sweetness and all. Heck, even 'always oblivious' Xander noticed it. And she was pretty sure Riley noticed it too.

0101010

Spike knew where to find the bitch. All he had to do was just follow the traces of her annoying scent. Or he just had to go to his crypt since it was most likely that she was there.

And just like he thought, she was there; annoying even the dust and cobwebs in the soddin' place.

She jumped up from the sarcophagus she was sitting on when she saw him. "Blondie bear! Oh, I knew you'd come back to m-" She was cut short when Spike gripped her throat with one hand and pinned her to the wall. "Ow! That hurts."

He squeezed harder at her whimper that only enraged him more. "Too bad you don't breathe so you could be gasping for air and dying."

Tears rimmed Harmony's eyes, almost begging the other seething vampire for pity, but he didn't give it. "Why are you mad at me? I did this for you, blondie bear! So you could finally kill her!"

His jaw ticked in annoyance. Even if he still wanted to kill the Slayer, how could he when the moment he would even attempt it, the blasted chip the government put in his brain would fire? "Harm, pet… Have you forgotten the **bleeding chip in my bleeding brain?!**" Harmony recoiled as much as she could in his grip as his angry voice echoed in the crypt.

"N-no! Of course, not… B-But then it'll be… easier! O-or some other demon will kill her! N-news spreads fast, you know! That's what you wanted... right?"

Her words urged a sharp pang to his unbeating heart.

She was right. It was what he wanted, all those years. He wanted nothing else than to hear the Slayer begging for her dear life while he pulled on her blood, bit by bit draining her of her life force. He had spent hours on end imagining what she tasted like; how her blood could have satisfied his blood lust like no other blood can.

0101010

Giles panicked. He really did. He was stuttering and scrambling for words for two minutes before he finally decided to let them stay at his place that night or until matters were resolved.

He and Willow put up a sort of barrier or some kind of neat magical alarm system around his apartment. It was all they could do, really. They just hoped it was enough to keep the demons away.

0101010

Spike thrust Harmony out of his clutch, making her fall to the floor with a loud 'thump!'. She soothed her neck, unshed tears still in her eyes. She then stood up, slightly smiling that he had let go of her and did not kill her. But the moment she got back up on her feet, she felt a sudden pain through her heart. She gazed into the eyes of the man she loved as he held the stake to her chest before she turned to dust.

Spike dusted himself off and walked away, not even looking back or feeling guilty even for a second.

He had other things to do.

0101010

Not one of the three people in Giles' apartment saw the magical crystal alarm thingy glow as Spike approached the vicinity.

He banged on the door incessantly, until Giles opened it with heavy – lidded eyes. "Spike? What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."

The ruckus had woken up not only Giles, but also the slayer and the witch who slept soundly on the couch.

Ignoring the former watcher, Spike headed in, turning his attention fully to the slayer who stood by the couch in her yummy sushi pajamas. "I need to talk to you. _In private_."

"Uh… Sure." She said hesitantly, glancing at Giles and at Willow nervously. "Giles can we use your room?"

Giles only nodded, not remembering that he was supposed to be sleeping in the said room. He was obviously too baffled by what the two could possibly talk about that needed to be in private. More over, why couldn't it wait until the next night or that morning?

Buffy led the anxious vampire into Giles room. Honestly, she was scared. Spike knew that she was in no condition to fight. In fact, he could see it as she was limping. She slowly entered the room and turned to the vampire. "So… what's up?"

**Yes. Killing the slayer was all Spike had lived for.**

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**A/N: Please don't send me hate messages for the cliffhanger. :D But please do review. I love your reviews. I value them all. They make me so happy.**


	17. Chapter 16

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: This chapter conta****ins explicit sexual situations.**

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**Chapter 16**

_Killing the Slayer was all Spike had lived for - until he felt what it was like to kiss her._

Spike locked the door behind him and turned to the Slayer who he saw clearly even through the darkness. Her hair was disheveled from sleep, she was wearing pajamas, and she didn't have make up on.

She has never been more bloody beautiful.

He carried her, paying close attention to her sprained ankle and wrist, and brought her to Giles' bed. And before she could sit up and get off the bed, he crawled over her.

"You're so beautiful, Buffy," he whispered, slowly unbuttoning her pajamas and kissing and nipping at her neck lazily.

"But… I'm wearing my yummy sushi pajamas and I'm all injured," she whined but then tilted her neck to him.

"Won't need your ankle or your wrist." He slowly slid her top open and off her and then ran his hands languidly over her breasts before enveloping one peak with his mouth for only brief a moment.

When he released her, she arched up to him, wanting more than what he was giving her even though she protested again. "But… I don't have my slayer strength."

He kissed her taut stomach and then answered in a low voice. "Better. Won't need to worry about you taking control." He then hooked his fingers under the waistband of her pajamas and carefully slid them down, ghosting kisses on the silky skin he was slowly revealing. He then lifted his shirt off and hurriedly got out of his pants that strangled his craving for her, to be inside her, and to be hers.

"B-But it's dark… I… I can't see you. I want to see you…"

He hovered back over her, both of them sighing from the feel of the other's bare skin. "Don't need to see me, love. You'll feel me," he said roughly, slipping his hand underneath her panties and gently tracing her wet center with one finger. "Do you feel me?"

His teasing was almost enough to drive her over the edge. She nodded and placed her hands on his bare chest. He ran his index finger down her core again and coated it with her moist heat for him. He then brought that finger to one of her hardened nipples and painted it with her wetness. Her breath caught at the feel of his wet finger mimicking his cool tongue. Spike then brought her peak to his mouth and sucked her juices off it. "Bloody ambrosia, you are." She bit her lip to stifle a moan only to moan louder when in one swift movement, he entered her.

Spike started to slowly move inside her, memorizing the feel of her gripping him, molding him into her, making her his. But he already was, whether he tried to deny it or not. Buffy gasped and moaned and mumbled his name over and over, filling Spike with more desire, if it was even possible. He let out a low growl and quickened his pace.

Buffy felt overwhelmed from all the emotions and sensations flooding her. "Don't stop… Never stop," she breathed as she moved with him. He then placed his forehead on hers when they both shuddered in ecstasy. "Oh God… Spike… I love you so much," she gasped.

Spike immediately pulled back to look at Buffy. Her cheeks were flushed red from the sex and from embarrassment. She swallowed hard and waited for his answer but he didn't give her one. All he did was stare at her in awe. _Way to kill the mood, Buf._

Fortunately, someone knocked on the door and broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Buffy? Is everything alright?" They heard Giles' muffled voice from the other side of the door.

Spike slid out of Buffy, eliciting a whimper from her, and got off the bed. He gathered their clothes and handed Buffy her underwear and pajamas.

"Uh… Yeah. Everything's fine," she answered Giles tensely while she watched Spike in the moonlight as he got dressed. She then buttoned her top before speaking. "I'm sorry. What I said…"

"It's fine," Spike mumbled. "But… don't say it again."

To say that she was confused would be an understatement. Was she still just a 'good shag' to him? She knew he didn't love her but he must feel something for her. She slid back into her panties then her pajamas as she fought back the tears.

Spike held on to the door knob and almost crushed it from the way he was holding it. It was all too much. Not too long ago, he wanted to kill her. And then, he realized he was in love with her. And then she told him she loved him when he was fairly certain that he'd never have her. And then – _bugger all this thinking_.

He turned back to her. "I want you to break up with Captain Cardboard."

She smiled and without having second thoughts, she answered. "Okay."

"I know your friends don't like me but to hell with your friends. And I know I'm a vampire but Angel was a vampire too, right?"

Buffy shifted to the side of the bed with a wide smile on her face. She has never seen Spike ramble before and it was just adorable. "Spike."

"And I know I was evil but I'll try not to be. If you want, I'll even try to _not hate_ your silly little gang. I don't hate Red and the ex-demon so I'm half way there. And then-"

She stood before him, still with the sweetest smile he has ever seen. "I said okay."

"Right. Okay… Right, then." He let out a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding.

Buffy thought it was enough that he wanted to be with her. It didn't matter whether he loved her or not. All she knew was _she_ loved _him_.

"We should probably go back outside. Giles needs his bed… And maybe I should tell him to change his covers," she giggled.

Spike stared at the woman before him and could not believe how someone like her could love someone like him – a monster. "Buffy," he said when she stopped laughing. "I love you, too."

0101010

Buffy lay on the sofa and stared at the ceiling, finding it hard to sleep. She was so happy, so loved, that she didn't care about the suspicious glances Giles and Willow shot Spike and her or that it was two in the morning and she had to wake up at seven.

_Spike loves me._

Suddenly, the door burst open, breaking her out of her trance and waking Willow up with a start. They sat up and saw Riley at the door, panting. "We have a problem."

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**To be continued...**

**A/N: I'm kind of nervous about this chapter... Did you like it? Please tell me you liked it... Please review. :D Thank you!  
**


	18. Chapter 17

**Something Borrowed**

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. And an apology to Secret Slayer. You know why. :)

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**Chapter 17**

Spike had been sitting across the sofa where Buffy lay, still wide awake. He bit his lip as he watched her smile inwardly. _Hell yeah_. He was the cause of that smile, he knew it.

_Buffy loves me._

"We have a problem," Riley panted when he burst through the door. "It's chaos-" he broke off at the sight of the vampire he hated so much.

"What now?" Spike groaned as he got up. Leave it to the commando to muck things up.

Willow eyed Riley's outfit. It was different from the white shirt and jeans he was wearing earlier. He was wearing the commandos' uniform and was armed with some sort of rifle. She wasn't really surprised, though. It actually explained a lot of things – like why he was patrolling with Buffy earlier that night and why he called Spike hostile 17. She then wondered why she and Xander didn't talk about _that_. Maybe they were too busy talking about Spike and Buffy's 'thing', which was **way** more interesting. Because demons, vampires, witches and organizations that hunt them down? Normal.

A low growl of "You" was the only thing Riley said before attacking Spike, hitting him hard on the face and making him stumble backwards onto the chair he had just vacated.

"What the hell was that for?!" Spike shouted, a hand flying to his jaw to caress it.

Riley could have dusted Spike with just the way he was glaring at him, his eyes smoldering with hate. His eyes almost shot stakes at the poor, unable to fight back vampire. And oh, how he wanted to fight back _soooo_ bad. "He's the one that planned this whole thing! He was working with the vampire that injected you with that drug!" Riley pointed at Spike, waving his finger in front of him annoyingly. Spike had half a mind to bite it off and make Riley cry like a sissy little ponce. "And now it's chaos out there, Buffy. We're trying to contain the situa-… Oh. Hi, Willow."

"We?" Willow smiled widely at Riley's panicked expression.

"Me and… Graham. Those darn college frat boys, you know," he chuckled nervously. "Paintball can be --"

"So you're a commando. What were you saying about Spike?" Willow asked, caring less about Riley being just busted.

Riley shifted uncomfortably. "Well, Spike here was behind this whole thing."

"What are you going on about?! I don't know a damn thing!" Spike yelled back. At least that was what Buffy wanted him to do. Instead, Spike just glared back at Riley.

His silence was deafening.

"Spike?" Buffy asked him. Never in her life had silence hurt her so much.

"Buffy, it was before--" His voice was pleading. His eyes glistened with regret.

"Here I was, thinking you've changed. You acted all pissed off and revenge-y when you found out what Harmony did to me when all the while it was your idea!"

True. It was his idea. He thought up the whole thing that one night he and Harmony shagged for the _last_ time. Harmony was to inject the Slayer with the damn drug and then he'd kill her almost effortlessly, preferably by sucking her dry. And if he couldn't have done it, Harmony would have been able to. Probably. Hopefully.

But that was before he fell so damn hard for her.

"Evil, remember? And I didn't kill you, did I?" Spike said.

"That's all you have to say about that? Am I supposed to _thank_ you now?" Buffy then clasped her hands together and mocked, "Oh thank you my dear knight for wanting to kill me but not doing so," and then she rolled her eyes.

Riley and Willow looked on at the two as they fought like enemies – no, like lovers. Their fight was less of the 'I want to kill you because I hate you' kind and more of the 'you hurt me so bad I want to kill you' kind.

"It's not like that and you **know** it," Spike said, obviously pointing out what happened a few moments ago in Giles' bedroom. "I lo-," he started to say in front of Willow and Riley. _To hell with them_. He loved her. He loved her so much.

But she didn't let him finish. She didn't dare. "Get him out of here," she braved, averting her eyes from Spike's hurt-filled ones.

Riley leered as he brought Spike up by the lapels of his coat. "Gladly."

Spike swatted the soldier's hands away and mumbled, "Don't bother. I'll 'get out of here' myself."

Spike started to head on out and tried to look like he didn't care. And he really was going to leave if Willow hadn't spoken up and sounded all panicked. "Uh… Guys?"

They all looked at the direction Willow stared at worriedly. The crystal alarm thing Willow and Giles had set up on the coffee table was furiously blinking.

"Bollocks," Spike grumbled as three vampires appeared at the doorway. "You led them here, you pillock!" He turned back to Buffy and said, "Stay there. Don't go all heroic now." She nodded and stepped back.

Buffy was scared. Since she became used to her Slayer duties, she never really got scared that much – or at all – except maybe during her Cruciamentum (which was almost the same thing as what was happening then). But it comforted her that Spike was there, ready and willing to protect her, even after she basically told him to fuck off.

Oh, and she almost forgot. Riley was there too.

Riley screwed his face up, glancing at Buffy then at Spike then back at Buffy. "Am I not the boyfriend here?"

Willow immediately grabbed a stake from the Giles' tool chest, walked over to the other side of the couch and stood beside Spike.

Riley readied his weapon and did the same.

They stood there, guarding the helpless Slayer and watched as the vampires tried to get into Giles' apartment.

Spike couldn't believe Giles was still soundly sleeping.

"Good thing they're vampires and that they need an invite to get in huh?" Willow said, smiling widely. The group of vampires then moved back as a group of demons barged in.

"I so jinxed that," Willow muttered while the two men frowned at her briefly before charging at the demons.

Willow ran behind the couch again to grab an axe from Giles' tool chest. She handed Buffy one, smiled at her reassuringly and stood in front of her.

0101010

After killing most of the demons that attacked them (unlike Riley who just electrocuted them. Idiot.), Spike immediately walked over to Buffy who was backed up against the corner. He grabbed her arms gently, his eyes so full of love and concern that she almost wanted to jump on him and kiss him. "You alright?" he asked her. She nodded and smiled.

"Again. Am I not the boyfriend here?" Riley grimaced and placed his hands on his hips.

Buffy sighed deeply and moved past Spike to approach the very confused commando. It was time. "Listen, Riley… It's not working – you and me. It's not that you're not a great boyfriend. Trust me, you are but… I just don't feel that way about you."

Riley glared at the vampire who was smiling smugly.

"I get it. You're choosing him over me. You're choosing a vampire over me; a vampire who dunked his head in peroxide," Riley chuckled dryly.

"Riley," Buffy tried to calm the obviously angry commando.

"This is just… sick," Riley hissed, shook his head and left.

Buffy whirled around as Riley shut the door behind him. She approached the man she loved, wound her arms around his neck and smiled. "Don't I know it."

Willow was happy that Buffy was actually happy. But she still wasn't used to her and Spike making out, though. "Guys? Still here."

**TBC...**

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**A/N: Please review. :) I think this is nearing its end... I think. Or not. I don't know, really. But I'm just so in love with this fic! (especially that it gets more reviews than my other WIPs combined LOL) Again, I really am thankful for all the reviews I get. I LOVE reviews. Even getting just one makes me happy. Just as long as someone enjoys it, I'm continuing it! :D**


	19. Chapter 18

**Something Borrowed**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. RL has been a bitch. I'm kind of jittery about this chapter... Hope you guys like it still.**

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**Chapter 18**

The first thing Giles noticed when he woke up a few hours later that morning and when he went down to the living room in his robe, was not the pile of broken pieces of glass on the floor, or the broken furniture or the clutter, but Buffy who was snuggled up to Spike while she slept.

"Isn't Buffy supposed to be in school? Did Willow cast some sort of spell again?" He looked around his trashed home and added, "And what in God's name happened here?"

"The Slayer decided to take the day off, no, and some demons attacked," Spike answered every single one of his questions, not even looking up from the book he was reading.

"Could you explain to me then why you two are doing what you're doing?" Giles asked again, cleaning his glasses and hoping there was something terribly wrong with it so he could conclude that he was seeing things.

"No," Spike answered him uninterestedly. "No wait, actually, I could. The slayer's in love with me and we've been shagging like bunnies for months," he continued with an amused expression on his face and then turned the page of the book. He still did not look up to see Giles' bewildered expression.

The ringing of the phone saved Spike from being further questioned by the former watcher. Giles gave one last baffled look at the two before heading over to the phone and answering it. "Yes?"

"Mr. Giles. It's Riley Finn. Please don't say anything. Just listen."

0101010

"That was… wow," Anya said and sighed contentedly as Xander slipped out of her and rolled off her. "I'm very grateful to Willow for waking us up early in the morning to tell us about the demons attacking Giles' apartment."

Xander stared at the ceiling, obviously deep in thought. He was bothered by one little piece of information Willow shared when she called, along with the other interesting information she had told him. He then turned to Anya, who was stilling smiling widely and asked, "Have you noticed anything different between Spike and Buffy?"

"You mean the sexual tension we could cut like a knife?"

"What?" Xander asked incredulously, sitting up slightly and propping himself up on his elbows. "No, I was talking more of the -"

"And of course, the way they look at each other. It's different. I can tell they've had lots and lots of sex. And not just sex but sex with orgasms. Lots of it."

"What?!"

0101010

She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He loved feeling her beside him, her sprained hand on his chest, her breath blowing on his neck. He loved the sounds she made while she slept, loved the way she would wriggle and murmur and snuggle closer to him. He could have stayed that way forever.

Buffy stirred as her eyes fluttered open. "Morning." She smiled sleepily as she stretched against him.

"Actually, love, it's afternoon," he grinned affectionately, brushing back the hair from her face.

_Oh. Morning breath. And vampires have heightened smelling._ She covered her mouth with her bandaged hand and spoke. "It is? Sorry I slept all morning."

Spike raised an eyebrow and slightly lifted his head off the armrest of the sofa. "Why are you covering your mouth?"

"Cause I have morning breath."

Spike rolled his eyes and snagged her hand away gently from her face. "Don't care," he chuckled and took her chin with his hand to kiss her.

"Eww! Spike!" she giggled as she teasingly swatted his hand away. He then took her by the hips and positioned her on top of him. She immediately felt his erection and knew exactly what he wanted to do that afternoon.

She wriggled and unintentionally ground into him as she tried to get off him, eliciting a low purr from the vampire. "Stop it. Giles might see us," she reprimanded him though she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

Spike grinned seductively, biting his lip in a way that made Buffy melt. "Rupert's not here. He went out a couple of hours ago."

"Still sprain-y here."

"That wasn't a problem last night," Spike argued, still with a seductive grin.

She willingly gave in when she saw Spike's meaningful stare. She placed her hands on his chest, caressing it over his fitted shirt, before bending down for a kiss.

0101010

"So you're saying it was Spike's idea to inject Buffy with the muscle relaxant?" Giles asked Riley while he smoothed his thumbs over the cup of tea he held in his hands.

"Affirmative," Riley nodded before taking a sip of his drink.

Giles quirked an eyebrow at the word Riley used. He still had no idea Riley was part of the Initiative, which he was strongly against, and he found it odd that someone would use such a word, especially someone of Riley's age. "And Buffy didn't care at all?"

"He must have done something to her to make her act and think that way - a drug or a spell." Riley still couldn't believe and get over the fact that Buffy chose Spike over him. It was madness.

"She has been spending quite a lot of time with him," Giles mused and recalled earlier events, particularly those that happened that morning.

"We have to do something, Mr. Giles. We can't let that _thing_ manipulate her."

"What do you propose we do?"

0101010

After talking carefully about the plan and how to carry it out, Giles thought it was best to bring another Scooby in on the whole thing. He and Riley then went to Xander that late afternoon to ask him for his help.

"Riley and I need your help," Giles, who sat beside Riley on the sofa in Xander's room, said.

"Why would he need our help?" Xander gestured towards the commando. "He's got the whole Initiative to back him up."

"Excuse me?" Giles asked as he was completely clueless about the whole thing.

"Riley's a commando. He didn't tell you?"

Riley sank back when he turned to face Giles and saw that he was glaring at him. "I was going to tell you," he defended.

"I do not want the Initiative involved in this in any way," Giles insisted.

"They won't be. You have my word," Riley assured him.

"And what exactly is 'this'?" Xander interrupted the two. "Do you plan on dusting Spike? Cause as much as I hate him…"

"No. We plan to separate Buffy from Spike," Riley explained quite vaguely.

"Separate? What does that mean?"

**TBC...**


	20. Chapter 19

**Something Borrowed**

A/N: I decided to steer away from the drama and this is what I got. (bites nails) this is, by far, the scariest I've felt when posting a chapter. :D By the way, to those who are reading Sharp Curve, voting for the Cradle of Humanity Awards started today. hint hint You don't have to vote for me although that would be awesome. :D Okay, I'll stop talking now.

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**Chapter 19**

"Separate? What does _that_ mean?" Xander asked but didn't really expect a straight answer. Riley was with the Initiative and had been trained to do covert ops. Certainly, he would have no problem hiding what he planned to do to Spike. It was quite obvious what he planned though: payback.

"Just do as Riley says, Xander," Giles said, hopeful that it was convincing enough to show that he really wanted to go through with the plan, even though it was quite the opposite. Spike, whether the gang admitted it or not, had become a mean and very annoying affiliate of the Scoobies. Buffy also seemed fairly attached to the vampire.

Xander's mouth hung open at Giles' passiveness. Something was clearly wrong with that picture. "Okay. Who are you and what have you done with Giles?"

Riley shifted as he was getting pretty impatient. "Are you in or not?" he asked Xander with an exasperated sigh.

Xander glanced briefly at Giles, looking for some sort of 'go' signal to tackle the commando and tie him up. But it seemed that Giles was really in. Xander sighed as he thought that he just had to fix things himself. But first he had to pretend he liked the schmuck, which, at first he did but now he's just annoying. "Fine. What do we do?"

"I just need someone to distract Buffy, although without her strength she can't really do anything," Riley chuckled and the two kept the urge to strangle him at bay. "And someone to take Spike to this address," he continued, handing Xander a piece of paper.

"I'll take Spike," Giles and Xander simultaneously answered.

The two eyed each other before Giles finally spoke up. "I'll take Buffy."

"Okay. Make sure you leave immediately after you drop him off. Tell him anything; tell him some vamps are held up there. Just get him to stay. Alone," Riley ordered, pointing at Xander as he did. "I'll take care of the rest," Riley finally said before heading out.

0101010

"Great. You're here." Xander had been doubtful that Spike would have even shown up when he had asked him to come over to his place.

"This better be important. I'm missing cuddle times because of you," Spike mumbled the last part but Xander still heard him.

"I'll pretend you didn't just say that." Xander then took a deep breath as he readied to explain. "Riley wants you to meet the inside of a dust buster. Even though I greatly dislike you, from all the disturbing things I've heard and seen the past couple of days – or even weeks – you seem to like Buffy. And she seems to like you. She's different when she's around you; almost like she's actually… happy. Which, I've never really seen her be."

Spike was deeply touched. He decided he didn't hate - but still didn't like - the whelp anymore. Didn't mean he wasn't going to be rude to him anymore, though. "This speechifying has a point, hasn't it?"

"Riley wants me to take you here." Xander hands Spike the paper Riley gave him earlier. "I'm thinking a trip back to the vet for you."

0101010

Giles had been Buffy's father figure all those years, and he loved her like she was his own. And to see her with someone – no, some thing – like Spike has to be one of the things fathers dread most. But after everything they and her calling had put her through, Buffy deserved what ever it was she thought she deserved. He owed her that. The world owed her that. And if she thought what she deserved was Spike, then he would certainly not stand in her way.

He entered his house to find Buffy sitting alone on the couch and watching the television. "Where's Spike?"

Buffy turned to her former Watcher and raised a brow when she saw that he was worried. "Xander called in a few minutes ago. Said he needed Spike to come over. Why? Is something wrong?"

"Uh, yes..." he started. "Spike is in danger."

"What?" Buffy exclaimed as she stood up.

"It's Riley. I-I believe he's planning someth-" Giles answered, evading her eyes as she tried to figure out how he knew. Buffy then walked, or rather limped, to the door. "Where are you going?"

She stopped mid way and turned to face Giles. "To find Spike. I can't just stand around, Giles. He needs me; he can't fight humans remember?"

"But you're in no fighting condition Buffy."

Buffy could do nothing in response but to sigh in defeat. Giles was right.

0101010

Xander hid behind the stack of cargo boxes in the dark corner of the factory where Riley had instructed him to take Spike. When he bumped into something, he jumped and shone his flashlight on what it was.

He saw Buffy and Giles, also hiding behind the cargo boxes. "Buffy? Giles? What are you doing here?" he asked, shifting the light from Giles, to Buffy then back to Giles.

"What are _you_ still doing here? I thought you were supposed to leave. That was the plan, right? And, by the way," she jabbed him on the arm a little harder than she intended.

"Ow! What was that for?" Xander winced and caressed his arm.

"For wanting my boyfriend dead!" Buffy cocked her head as she thought and then corrected herself, "Or dusted… you know what I mean."

"Giles was in on the whole thing!" Xander said as he wiggled the flashlight at Giles' face.

Shock wiped over Buffy's face. She then stared at Giles with a deathly glare.

"I told you everything, didn't I?" Giles defended himself.

"Yes and you happened to just _accidentally_ leave that part out." She shook her head and then glanced at Spike who was standing in the middle of the abandoned factory. "So what are you two doing?"

"We're waiting for Riley to arrive then I'll clobber him with this," Xander said, raising a plank of wood. "We've been meaning to find stuff about the Initiative anyway, right? So we say, tie him up and make him talk."

"What if he brings a team with him? Have you thought about that?" Giles asked, obviously second-guessing their plan.

"Spike and I talked about that."

"And?"

"Well it's either run or run and hide."

"Yes, very well thought out," Giles said sarcastically.

"At least I didn't bring an impotent Slayer,"

"Hey!" Buffy frowned. The three of them then turned silent as they watched Spike stand about and waited.

Xander, having realized something, then got out "Did you say boyfriend?"

Buffy was about to make up some lame excuse when, thankfully, she saw Riley, in full commando mode, enter the building. "He's here!" she whispered.

**TBC...**

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**A/N: (bites nails and then runs and hides) Btw, the 'in full commando mode' made me snicker. :D  
**


	21. Chapter 20

A/N: Some, or most, of you may be disappointed with how I chose to end things. For those who wanted Riley bashing, I'm sorry I couldn't deliver. I didn't want the last chapter to be about Riley bashing and he doesn't really deserve beating or death with how things played out. :)

**Something Borrowed  
**

**Chapter 20**

His head felt heavy and dear God, did it hurt. He felt like he'd been clobbered at the back of his head, and he most probably was. The last thing he remembered seeing was Spike standing in the middle of the factory with this smug grin on his face_; hence the clobbering being probable_.

He slowly blinked his eyes open, readjusting them to focus on the figure that stood before him. After making out who it was through the haze, "Buffy?" was his groggy whisper. He sat up, holding his aching head and then glanced up at Buffy.

"Tell us everything about The Initiative," she said, firmly keeping eye contact with Riley, telling him with her eyes that she didn't want to talk about the little stunt he wanted to pull because she'd likely be angrier than she was at that moment.

But Riley needed to get it all out. She hurt him. She lead him on; made him feel like she liked him even the slightest bit when it was obvious she didn't.

He then lowered his eyes, as he geared himself to pour his heart out. He also didn't want to look at her, as he was ashamed not because of what he wanted to do to Spike because _he deserved it_, but ashamed that he got caught and that he thought her friends would have betrayed her. "Everything was just so sudden," he justified. "You just broke up with me like you didn't even care, which, I'm guessing you really didn't," he said dryly. "I did things against my principles, against the rules for you. Things I never would have done if…" he paused and glanced up at her again; meeting her green orbs which were still trained on him. "I hid an H.S.T. for you and I would've done much more than that."

Breaking her steely gaze from his, Buffy spoke softly, "I know." She really did feel bad about everything she's done to Riley. He has been a good boyfriend and he didn't deserve the way she treated him. "But what you were planning to do is wrong."

"And what you did isn't?" he instantly spoke up. "For all I know you two might have been going at it for weeks." At Buffy's guilty fidgeting, Riley continued. "And I'm guessing I'm right."

"I really am sorry for not being honest with you. I tried to feel what you felt for me but I can't help who I fall in love with."

A slight wince at Buffy's use of the word 'love' to refer to Spike, Riley said somberly, "I would have let you go if you just told me."

He was telling the truth. He'd do anything for Buffy and for that he hated himself. Mostly, he hated Spike.

Before Buffy could answer, the three who were outside walked back into the factory and over to them. "Good. Boy scout's finally awake," Spike said, settling in beside Buffy.

"How much has he told you about the Initiative?" Giles asked.

"Well…" Not wanting to tell the three of them how they talked about how she cheated on the poor guy, she couldn't come up with an answer. Fortunately, Riley immediately covered for her and began talking about the Initiative. Buffy gave him a slight smile of gratitude as the three bombarded him with questions.

After finding out everything about the commandos and concluding that they were practically harmless, they all decided to leave the tired and sore soldier.

"I'll catch up with you," Buffy called out to the three. Despite of Spike glaring at her, almost ordering her to leave the sod alone, she turned back to Riley and with complete sincerity said "Thank you… for everything." She then spun to follow the rest of the gang, but then stopped and turned to Riley again. "But you are never to come near my friends ever again. And if your commando friends even _try_ to do anything to Spike, you'll have to go through me. They might not know who I am but you do and we both know what I am capable of."

Riley blinked at her, unable to speak up from all the emotions he was feeling. He didn't know whether to be touched that she thanked him or angry that she threatened them or angrier that she was willing to do anything to protect Spike. Reluctantly, clenching his jaw to hold back the desire to pummel Spike, he nodded.

"Good," Buffy said firmly. "But I really am sorry," she said in a softer tone before joining the vampire who was waiting for her.

Riley glared at the two as they walked out of the run-down factory. Though he wanted to swear revenge for and stealing his girl back, he knew deep down she never really was his.

She stopped Spike once they were outside the old factory by holding his hand and he turned to her. "Thank you."

"For what, pet?"

"For not beating the hell out of Riley after what he wanted to do to you."

Spike shrugged. "Stole his girl. Seemed only fair to not kick his Nancy boy arse."

Buffy chuckled and then smiled sweetly. The look in Spike's eyes only made her surer about how she felt about him and that she had made the right decision. "I love you."

"And I'll never tire from hearing it."

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"Finally," Spike sighed as he pulled Buffy into his arms. He has finally settled back into his crypt after there were no more signs of any commando traipsing after him and Buffy decided she wanted to fix it up. A reluctant Spike just nodded and kept silent as she went on about how she wanted the hole in the ground to look like.

"We're never going to finish fixing this place up if we keep taking 'breaks'," Buffy giggled as she struggled playfully against Spike's arms.

"But we finally have time alone without having to sneak behind everyone's backs and you're very irresistible," he husked, winding his arms around her waist tighter; never wanting to let go of her.

She eased into him and slid her arms around his neck. "Thought you'd like sneaking around; you being evil and all," she teased lightheartedly.

"I am still evil," he murmured as Buffy trailed kisses on his cheeks and neck.

"Sure you are." She smiled widely at him and he smiled back.

Spike couldn't have been happier: the love of his unlife loved him back. The thing about it though was that he was scared. Scared that he's just borrowing her from the tin soldier or any other wanker for that matter. Scared that he's borrowing her from the world that constantly needs saving. Scared that their time together would just be borrowed time and that she'll eventually move on to someone who isn't a vampire - hopefully someone who isn't a vampire because that would mean it would be the Poof. Scared of losing her. Scared of leaving her. Scared of how much he had fallen for her...

When she noticed Spike's wavering smile as he ducked his head, she took his chin in her hand and made him look into her eyes. "Hey. What's wrong?"she asked, searching his eyes and soothing his cheek.

Smiling faintly and evading her questioning eyes, he hushed, "It's nothing.

"Is it what Giles said about Ethan Rayne and what he said about the Initiative? About room 314? Are you worried about our plan?"

"It's not that. I know you can handle anything. You are amazing, Buffy. You know that?"

"That's what you call evil?" she kidded.

He sighed heavily, glancing away again. "I'm serious."

Realizing he really was and what could possibly be going through his mind, all the uncertainties and insecurities he must be feeling, she leaned up and placed a tentative kiss on his lips. "I'm yours, Spike," she said softly after pulling away. He glanced back up and met her green orbs which were filled with sincerity and love. "I'm yours."

Just two words and he forgot about all his fears.

**END**


End file.
